As I Hear . . . Taxi-Passenger Liked “Lady Dear”

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32222, 14 February 1970, Page 18

As I Hear . . . Taxi-Passenger Liked “Lady Dear”

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J. H. E. S.)

I was hardly taken by stir-' prise when 1 saw in “The| Press” not long ago a report' of another outbreak of objections to tipping. They will recur. It did. though, seem a little> ‘odd to me that this outbreak should so soon have followed the sinking, amid apathetic silence (or as near to silence; :as a Parliamentary debate! can come), of a private member's bill to discourage i tipping or end it. Those who oppose it are full of high-i minded reasons, ft degrades the relation between those' who serve and those who are served Does it degrade this relation if a customer who has been skilfully and pleasantly looked after chooses to acknowledge th? service with , a word and a tip, the choice being his. after all. I never I met waiter, waitress, steward. II or taxi-driver who showed a sense of offended dignity on ■being offered a tip To ntyt mind the truth is the contrary one: that a well-placed : tip is regarded as the return of courtesy for courtesy. In the recent discussion another reason was solemnly, urged: that tipping in New Zealand will deter tourists. What tourists, from where?; , From countries where tipping is usual? It was this fanciful notion, ho doubt, that explained a sentence in a Tourist Department advertisement in the “New Yorker." some .years ago In a summary of the attractions of this country it was said that "tipping is not expected." The deliberating customer who is not won by mountains, glaciers, lakes, forests, and thermal wonders may lay down his dollars.

his mind made up by the assurance that he need not tip . unless he wants to. ■Or. more likely, he may lay back his head and laugh at (this silly, superfluous assurance. In the correspondence columns. "Caractacus" strengthiened his objection by pleadling that waitresses, “cheerful and civil" (truly), do “five times the leg-work" of winewaiters. "who are customarily tipped, even here." but "expect nothing.” Who told [“Caractacus" that waitresses "expect nothing" 1 should think her a foolish waitress who did not entertain beneath her starched front the agreeable hope that a cheese plate here and there might he sitting on 20 cents or 50 cents, to thank her for her cheerful, civil attentions. And who told “Caractacus" that waitresses—as he appears to imply—are generally not tipped. If anybody told me that, referring to .hotel waitresses. I would not [believe him ¥ ¥ ¥ A reference to taxi-drivers above is enough to lead in a Wellington driver, a youngish. personable chap, goodJooking after a rather Jewish [fashion. He is also a pleasant conversationalist A friend of mine recently rode with him from town to her home. She arrived pleased. He had indulged his conversational bent: and the ride was long enough to accustom I her to being addressed as! “Ladv dear." She liked it ¥ ¥ ¥ A while ago I read tn "The; Press" an announcement that held an old and long personal interest for inc It was that of the award—the first, I should think—of the L. I' de Berry Memorial Award Competition It carried me back nearly 60 years, to the year when L. F. de B was appointed, from Cobden, to succeed Hugh Godfrey Wake as headmaster of the Hokitika District High School, otherwise known as the Victoria District High School. Wake was a stern man, stern to grimness, a hard' disciplinarian, and an

excellent teacher. L. F. de B. could be stem, on occasion, but there was nothing grim about him. I had two years as his pupil and began to form the opinion I later confirmed: that he was essentially a happy man, never happier than when throwing himself into his vocation or avocations. His very successful career as a headmaster brought him by way of Palmerston North (I think) to the West Christchurch District High School, as it then was: and. as he

saw, its status was an anomalous one derived from a classification given it many years brfore s jn very dj £ ferent circumstances and now gravely handicapping the He set to work with limitless enthusiasm to have West Christchurch elevated to the same status as the other high schools in Christx!\ l ’ lc h once he told me that he knew very well that if he succeeded under the. Education Depart-

merit’s regulations his appointment would terminate, though he would of course be free to apply for the headmastership of the new high school in the terms advertised He did succeed, his appointment was terminated accordingly, and he applied for the headmastership of the new high school, which came under the control of the Canterbury University College j Council, the governing body ; then of the Christchurch high schools. He was not appointed L. F de. B. knew that 1 was chairman of the council's high schools committee, which would consider applications and carry a recommendation to the council. He made not the slightest attempt to appeal to our long association and friendship in his favour and never spoke a resentful word He had a fair and generous mind. It was not very long before he entered on the last and most various phase of his career. He became headmaster of the delightful St Mark’s School at Opawa, where 1 had the great pleas- ■ ure of putting my small son in his hands: secretary of a Christchurch choral society and of the Christchurch Civic Music Council: and tutor, for more than 20 years, of the W E.A.’s class in English writing. His musical interests brought him fairly often to see me in N.Z.RS ’ believe that these, and St Mark’s, and his WE. A -.-lass made and kept him as happy as he had ever been in his life, or happier. It was not an ageing or old man who

came to see me but one who . looked and sounded like the i young headmaster 1 first saw : in 1912. The light of fresh eagerness often played on • his face. i * ¥ ¥ ’ I notice that practically al) , TV actors and actresses, what- , ever characters they repre- ; sent, pronounce "all right" as: /“orrigh.” I notice that Mari'shal Crown in "Cimarron , Strip” and his colleagues in i that and other Westerns, riding their horses, hold their t hands very high, against the .convention of the riding masters: and I wonder why ’ (Lest it be thought that I . am taking a poke at the Mar- > shal I shall declare that I ; never miss him. unless wild , horses have dragged me from J the screen) I notice that all i actors in American films l show themselves distraught by undoing their collar , button and loosening their I tie. I notice that the leads ing man in “Mission Impossible” hardly ever has any- [ thing to do but stand or stalk around, looking tense This is ’ taking "dolce far niente” too i far. perhaps. i .