Life, 1909-12-16 · page 12 of 32
Life — December 16, 1909 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page advocates for eliminating tipping customs entirely. The top panel shows various service workers ("Waiters," "Barbers," "Porters," etc.) labeled "ALL THESE ARE TIPPED," depicting them as a massive crowd—suggesting the practice affects numerous professions. The lower section asks "WHY EXEMPT THESE?" showing Conductors and Clerks, arguing these professionals aren't tipped despite performing similar service work. The satirical point: the tipping system is arbitrary and illogical. The accompanying text (partially visible) proposes abolishing tipping entirely and instead establishing government-guaranteed wages where "all men are created to tip and be tipped." This advocates for systematic wage reform rather than relying on customer generosity—a progressive economic critique of the early 20th-century wages system.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ALSO, WHY NOT TIP MINISTERS , SCHOOL TEACHERS AND A THOUSAND OTHERS , IN SHORT, WHY NOT ABOLISH ‘THE WAGE-SYSTEM ENTIRELY AND HAVE A GOVERNMENT DEDICATED TO THE PRINCIPLE THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED TO TIP AND BE TIPPED f erreur foany TO DEFENDERS OF TIPPING comicbooks.com