irm partnership, or
corporation, or of any public service corporation engaged in the
transportation of passengers in this state, who shall accept or
solicit any gratuity, tip or other thing of value or of valuable
consideration, from any guest or patron, shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be fined not less
than five dollars, or more than twenty-five dollars, or be
imprisoned in the county jail for a period not exceeding thirty
days.

This law makes the mere acceptance of a tip illegal and it also heads
off any attempt to circumvent the law on a technicality by prohibiting
the acceptance of "other thing of value or of valuable consideration."

THE WISCONSIN BILL

The Wisconsin bill, which the Governor vetoed on the ground that it
curtailed "personal liberty" was intended to penalize the giving of the
tip, and was worded as follows:

Sec. 45751. Every employee of any hotel, restaurant or public
place and every employee of any person, firm or of any public
service corporation engaged in the transportation of passengers
or the furnishing of food, lodging and other accommodations to
the public in this state who shall receive or solicit any
gratuity or tip from any guest or patron shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor. Every person who shall give or offer any gratuity
or tip to any person or employee prohibited from receiving or
soliciting the same by the provisions of this section shall also
be guilty of a misdemeanor.

"Every hotel, restaurant, firm and public service corporation
engaged in the transportation of passengers or in furnishing
food or lodging or other accommodations to the public shall keep
a copy of this law posted in a conspicuous place in such hotel
and restaurant and in the dining or sleeping cars of any firm
or public service corporation mentioned in this section. Any
persons violating any of the provisions of this section shall be
guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not
less than five dollars, nor more than twenty-five dollars, or by
imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed thirty days."

The demand for this bill was so strong among the members of the
Legislature that it almost was passed over the Governor's veto. The
provision that a copy of the law must be posted in the places where the
public comes into contact with the itching