EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS TIPS.
Ma. A. C. GRIEVE, 13 The Willows, Beech Road, Liverpool, writes : " I am particularly taken with the article on Tips, as it affects the new poor of the minor county class. Mention is made of railway porters, amongst others, who continue
to hold out their hands,' despite excessively good wages. As a matter of fact, many people nowadays travel ' light,' with but a single bag or suitcase, which they carry themselves, and porters can scarcely find tips as plentiful as in the small coin days of yore. The railway folks who reap the largest harvest are, obviously, the restaurant-car people. Some while ago I was studying Government papers dealing with post-War railway wages ; but, in spite of searching diligently, could find no mention of this money-winning class. It would be most interesting to know what wage and/or uniform allowance is granted to these highly lucky youths, in addition to their sure harvest of gratuities. The latter, I estimate, on a double, out and back run from London to. Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, or Leeds, or a single, eight to twelve-hour journey, King's Cross or Euston to Edinburgh,, Aberdeen, or Glasgow, must clear something like a pound apiece per diem ; allowing that the cars are fairly patronized. This in small sums, not exceeding sixpence, say, from often needy third-class pas- sengers ; and leaving the probably higher-paying first out of the reckoning. Six pounds a week, taking Sunday as a holiday ; £300 a year, allowing for some annual leave. How many young—and not so young !—University men would be thankful to be making a sure income of that magnitude— curates, lawyers, even some schoolmasters ! As for the widows and the orphans, who try to live on railway dividends, how few of them, indeed, have such a revenue to play with ? "
BRITISH TRADE WITH AMERICA.
A BRITON writes : " Your issue of January 30th reached me in Florence, South Carolina, where I was engaged in some sales work. The article headed British Trade with America' therefore interested me particularly, and I discussed with another English salesman (of cheap jewellery), whom I met there, your .correspondent's view that British firms must employ American travellers in this country. We agreed that, so far from this being the case in the South, I come from England ' is the best of introductions, gaining immediate and friendly interest. My work took me to drug stores kept by pharmacists with doctors' degrees, and to tiny wooden grocery stores, kept by negro men and women, in the coloured quarters, as well as to a wide range of groceries in between, so our combined experience was fairly conclusive. This other salesman told me that it was not an advantage to be recog- nized as an Englishman in many parts of the North ; but I think that there is a change in progress there. Naturally, it is well for any salesman to study local customs and to try to conform to them in many ways, and an English salesman starting work in the U.S.A. should try to travel, for a few days at any rate, with an American who really knows his job. There can be no doubt about the demand for British things over here, especially clothes and textiles. Men's clothing and women's sports clothes of English make command a ready sale and a good price."
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