A VEXED QUESTION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17030, 2 May 1923, Page 4

A VEXED QUESTION.

HOW AITJCH TO “TIP” ? (By Noel Alay.) Alore holidays are spoilt by trouble over tipping than from any other cause —except the weather. And this is especially so when a woman goes away by herself, for ha idly one in a thousand understands how to tip. 1 have known women sit in their rooms doing sums, nervously uncertain if five shillings is enough. or should it. perhaps, be five pounds? M ill the head waiter refuse anything under ten shillings, and will the chambermaid most likely think them mean ? Should they tip the hall porter at all. and what about the page? The peculiar tiling is that the lees a woman fan afford to give, the more lavish she generally is. She is so afraid that her habit of economy will make her mean that she loses her bead and goes to the other extreme. But tipping need not be any trouble if one keeps to rertain rules. To start with, ohe ahotild always follow soinfe sort of system in the matter never tip promiscuously aud at random. When making * long stay, many people prefer to give a settled sum weekly, though as a rule. it. conies a good deal more expensive. Ln this case. the right thing to do is lo say to the recipients. As long as you lock after me properly f will give yon so much every week instead of giving you something when 1 leave.” making it quite clear that they must not expect the usual “leaving” tips as well. Tfi on the other hand, it ts thought desirable to give the usual tip on leaving— the more successful method —give nothing till the 'time of leaving comes. As to how much to give- -it is generally allowed that about 10 per cent of the bill is more or less correct. And this, in the case of a restaurant, lunch or dinner, works excellently as regards the waiters. I have often seen women hostesses obviously at sea over that little item Perhaps the “10 per cent.” basis, when applied to hotel bills, is a trifle heavy. Still it is a standard on which to work and can easily be adapted to suit one’s purse.

Remember that a woman alone i« not expected to give as much a man !