TIPS IN TRAINS
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—As no one better authorized than myself has written in reply to Mr. Grieve's letter on this subject, an extract from. which appeared in your issue of Apri1.24th, may I make what I believe to be an accurate correction of his supposition that the restaurant-car waiters on railways reap the largest harvest " of tips, and (because he could find no mention of this money-winning " class, as he mils them) enjoy also high wages ? .
I have been credibly informed on more than one railway line, and by more than one waiter on each, that their rate of pay is, according to present wage-standards, very low indeed--- the average wage being, I understand, about 83s. a week, presumably on the hypothesis that this amount would be easily augmented by tips to a more reasonable income.
In regard to these tips, however, I am again informed, and I feel pretty sure it is true, that the Head Waiter receives all the tips, that the rest are bound to hand over to him their own takings, and that from this total he returns to each a small percentage, keeping the bulk himself.
Moreover, in some cases, if not in all, a complaint in regard to this custom would lead to instant dismissal, for as one waiter put it to me two years ago, " There are always plenty waiting to step in." There have been cases, according to four different waiters; when the job has had to be bought, literally, of the Head Waiter.
One man, who was looking so racked with anxiety that I had questioned him, told me that his wife was ill, and that he simply did not dare ask for a day off to look after her ; and. this same man told me that he had never yet been able to take home as niuch as £2 from his job.
He said (so did others) that they are supposed to have a meal, but that usually the meals for travellers follow one another so closely and people will sit so long after meals that all the waiters can get in the way of a meal is snatched mouthfuls at odd moments. The man whom I have just referred to also said that though he joined his train think, about seven-thirty in the morning, he never got any- thing to cat before three in the afternoon, breakfast not being allowed them ; and generally the travellers were at dinner until the train reached its destination at night on the home- ward trip, the result being that he got no supper until he reached home about nine. He said, " But it's something regular, anyway, and just keeps us from starvation." His rent in the town he had to live in was 14s. 6d. a week.
On one journey, when there were not many people, I sat in my single seat and watched the tips received by my waiter. From eleven passengers, including myself, they totalled Is. 4d., of which I gave 1 s. (this was first-class !). I asked him how much of that he would get, and he said probably none of it, because no one knew just what daily total the Head Waiter received, so no one could (even if he dared) say anything.--I am, Sir, &c., RUBBERNECK.
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