Comments on: Plus ça Change, Plus C’est la Même Chose http://www.adashofbitters.com/2008/09/01/plus-ca-change-plus-cest-la-meme-chose/ A weblog detailing cocktails, spirits, liqueurs, barware, bars, and bitters. Maintained by Michael Dietsch, a hobbyist mixer in Providence, R.I. Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:35:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: John Martin http://www.adashofbitters.com/2008/09/01/plus-ca-change-plus-cest-la-meme-chose/comment-page-1/#comment-15070 John Martin Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:53:11 +0000 http://www.adashofbitters.com/?p=169#comment-15070 My, how times do change. >> If he were to pay his men fair wages–from $12 to $15 a week $12-15 per week would be the average salaryman's wage from 1900... higher then, as now, than the average total compensation for a waiter or barman. This inflation calculator http://www.westegg.com/inflation/ suggests that the $86/week paid in 2007 might be equal to $3.49 in 1900. Still not much. Wait and bar staff are sales people and will always be paid primarily on commission (tips). My, how times never change. My, how times do change.

>> If he were to pay his men fair wages–from $12 to $15 a week

$12-15 per week would be the average salaryman’s wage from 1900… higher then, as now, than the average total compensation for a waiter or barman.

This inflation calculator
http://www.westegg.com/inflation/
suggests that the $86/week paid in 2007 might be equal to $3.49 in 1900.

Still not much.

Wait and bar staff are sales people and will always be paid primarily on commission (tips).

My, how times never change.

]]> By: Jacob http://www.adashofbitters.com/2008/09/01/plus-ca-change-plus-cest-la-meme-chose/comment-page-1/#comment-15054 Jacob Tue, 02 Sep 2008 03:26:51 +0000 http://www.adashofbitters.com/?p=169#comment-15054 Cool excerpt. Glad to see the debate hasn't changed much in $100 years :) The BLS has an inflation calculator, but it only goes back to 1913. According to that, $15 in 1913 is equivalent to $333.28 in today's money. That also puts a nickel tip as worth a little over $1 in today's money. Any idea what typical tips were back then? Of course none of this comes close to fully accounting for quality of life improvements brought about by technology. I'd still rather be a bartender in 2008. Cool excerpt. Glad to see the debate hasn’t changed much in $100 years :)

The BLS has an inflation calculator, but it only goes back to 1913. According to that, $15 in 1913 is equivalent to $333.28 in today’s money. That also puts a nickel tip as worth a little over $1 in today’s money. Any idea what typical tips were back then?

Of course none of this comes close to fully accounting for quality of life improvements brought about by technology. I’d still rather be a bartender in 2008.

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