Mr. Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, has
opposed tipping as an irregular form of compensation, and in response to
an inquiry for his opinion he inclosed a letter he had written to the
manager of the Hotel Stowell, in Los Angeles, where a non-tipping rule
is enforced.

"_Hotel Stowell, Los Angeles, Calif._

"Replying to your letter of November 28th I beg to say that I
found your hotel and service eminently satisfactory and was
particularly pleased with the rule you have enforced as to no
tipping.

"While, of course, I have followed the usual custom of giving
tips, yet I have maintained the principle of tipping to be
unwise and that it tends to lessen the self-respect of a man who
accepts a tip.

"Very truly yours,
"(Signed) SAMUEL GOMPERS,
"American Federation of Labor."

This letter is interesting as revealing the attitude of many prominent
Americans, namely, that while they conform to the custom rather than be
subjected to insults, annoyance and poor service, they really consider
it inimical to self-respect.

EUROPEAN TIPS

Mr. Gompers in his letter said: "You have my permission to quote my
opinion upon this subject in any way that you may desire," and gave
permission to have reproduced here the chapter in his book, "Labor In
Europe and America," which deals with tipping in Europe, as he
encountered it in his investigations of labor conditions. The chapter is
entitled "Nuisances of European Travel" and is as follows:

"Having in previous letters given my impressions with regard to
matters of more serious import, I wish to say something about
the almost hourly sufferings of American travelers in Europe
from mosquito bites. To the sharp probes from these insects,
with the resultant pain, fever and disgust, the traveler is
obliged to submit continually--at hotels and restaurants, on the
railroad and often elsewhere--as he goes seeing the sights. To
illustrate: our party on arriving at The Hague engaged two
mosquitoes in the form of station porters to carry our
hand-baggage to the bus of the Hotel Blank, waiting at the curb
of the station exit. The station porters passed the valises over
to the hotel bus porter at a point just within the station door.
Nip! nip! by the two station porters.

NIP! NIP!

"When we arrived at the hotel door both the bus