1900 Harry Johnsons Bartenders Manual (Mixellany)

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sary. The keeping of everything clean and dusted is perfectly apparent. Fresh, clean bills of fare should not be forgotten. Everything of the finest quality is needed for a first-class place. As a rule, the management, the service, and keeping the place in order is the head-waiter's duty, who also sees that every patron gets the proper attention. One particular point is, that the man in charge of the din- ing room should know that every customer receives the same kind of service, whether he tips the waiter or not. It is a great mistake to allow any neglect of regular patrons. As far as I am concerned, I claim that the people who do not give tips should be treated just as well as those who do. It is nothing to the proprietor in a financial way, but only an evidence of good will by those who desire to acknowledge their appreciation of the waiter's efforts. Many restaurant and hotel proprietors have lost patrons, because the latter were slighted by the waiters, but did not care to complain and simply withdrew their custom. It is the pro- prietor's duty to see that such an incident does not occur in his place. No one opens a place for the pur- pose of having waiters receive tips, but for selling goods offered. I do not object to waiters receiving tips, and the man, who gives one, is mostly benefited, because the waiter will give him more attention and pleasant service. The fact is, that writers of almost all the nations in the world have argued and written many articles on the subject, denouncing the custom of giving and receiving tips, but there will never be any change, for the reason, principally, that there is not enough clear money—profit—in the restaurant business to allow paying the waiters and other em- ployees good living wages. The expenses are so enor- mous that the proprietor is obliged to hire men for the lowest possible wages, at which he can get them. If he were to pay his men fair wages—from $12 to $15 a