Life, 1912-02-01 · page 13 of 48
Life — February 1, 1912 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes two social issues of the era: **The Cartoon**: Titled "Ambassador Reid's New Court Uniform," it depicts a figure being measured or fitted, likely mocking Whitelaw Reid (mentioned in the text). The satire targets the absurdity of American diplomats adopting elaborate foreign court dress—shown as an overwrought, impractical costume. This ridicules the pretension of American officials adopting European aristocratic formality. **The Text**: The main article, "Are You Tired of Being Robbed?", attacks the tipping custom in American restaurants. It proposes Life's "Fashion Reform League," advocating against excessive tips and suggesting modest, standardized tipping rates (25 cents on bills, five dollars maximum per week for service staff). The satire mocks how prevalent tipping has become—customers feel obligated to over-tip to avoid embarrassment, effectively subsidizing waiters' wages.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
+E PRE. Are You Tired of Being Robbed? Join Life's Fashion Reform League at Once—New Restaurant Opened, With Prices in Reach of All—Latest Styles for Foreign Plenipotentiaries—King George is With Us VAnous attempts have been made to get us to change our head- quarters, but we are firmly established in Lire Park (formerly Central), and while we expect to start branch offices throughout the country, similar to those in Washington, we shall continue to administer the fashions, both for men and women, from our New York headquarters. We have just started a restau- rant for the ex- clusive use of our patrons, where a quiet little dinner can be bought at any hour of the day or night for the trivial sum of twenty- five dollars a plate. We are doing this, ow- ing to the exor- bitant prices which are now being charged by other metropoli- tan restaurants, and we wish to set an example patrons anywhere on the premises. Waiters should be paid twenty-five per cent. of the amount ordered in tips. We make this rule, and have purposely placed the percentage very low. If your bill, for instance, is only fifty dol- lars, twelve dollars and a half will be ample for the waiter. In case he com- plains of this, and intimates that other at the full rate. Thus you are guar- anteed to not have any more. food than you can consume—in case you don’t happen to feel hungry. The restaurant is situated in one of our most desirable corner buildings, and while eating your dinner you can be on view to all the passers-by. A small charge is made to these passers- by for lingering in front of the win- dows and looking in upon you. This sum we donate to charity. Our idea is not to let anything go to waste, and under no circumstances to be guilty of the pernicious habit of robbing people, a practice so regrettably com- mon in the metropolis. For example, when you are being measured for clothes, do not, under any circumstances, tip the saleslady more than five dol- lars upon any one occasion. We have divided the park into two sections: one for men and one for women. Our Men’s Department is growing constantly, and we are very glad to notice that some of the Supreme Court Justices have gotten in the habit of com- —oer of economy. Our friends who come from out of town and who wish to stay at headquarters can do so by notifying us in advance. The following schedule of prices is now in effect (subject to changes in the stock and other markets) : On entering, present the page at the door with a new dollar bill. By do- ing this every day he will say good morning to you. The maids, stationed in the corridors, should be handed a five-dollar bill per maid; and any of your two hundred dollar gowns left over (after you have worn them once or twice) they will gratefully receive. It is understood that our maids do not wear gowns presented to them by the AMBASSADOR REID'S NEW COURT UNIFORM (now being made by us) New York restaurants pay twice as much, please report it at the desk. We have our own special egg farm located within an hour’s ride of the park, and our fresh eggs (one dollar each) are absolutely guaranteed under the pure food law. In case you are staying with us permanently, do not pay the head waiter more than one hundred dollars a week. Larger tips than this give him an absurd sense of his own impor- tance; and, beside, he doesn’t need the money. We serve half portions to anybody who desires them, charging for them ing on from Washington to get measured for their costumes. This habit we desire to encourage. It is very much easier for us to ‘plan our creations on the premises, where we have every facility, than it is to send our representatives to various parts of the country. We are rapidly introducing a sys- tem of clothes-wearing by officials which will give our country the dig- nity among nations which has hereto- fore been so singularly lacking. Our ministers to France, England, Russia and Germany have applied for costumes, and our artists are now busy designing them. Mr. Whitelaw Reid has cabled as follows: