Judge, 1917-01-06 · page 11 of 32
Judge — January 6, 1917 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several satirical pieces reflecting early 20th-century American concerns: **"The H.C. of L."** (High Cost of Living) is the main feature—a pointed critique of inflation and retailer profiteering. The joke: when wholesale prices rise modestly, retailers mark them up disproportionately. The final line darkly jokes that even undertakers exploit crises. This reflects genuine public frustration with price gouging during a period of economic instability. **Other vignettes** mock social attitudes: a discharged factory worker stands up to his boss; a janitor's patience is praised; a child grows into her dress; and New Yorkers live cheaply yet spend extravagantly. **"Providential"** satirizes consumer debt culture—the punchline being that people now mortgage homes specifically to buy cars, inverting traditional values of home-ownership as stability. The automobile sketch at top appears to show a doctor diagnosing a car's mechanical problems using medical language ("grip"), a common contemporary comparison treating machines anthropomorphically.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
re LL WhIRA Inquirer—What's the matter with yer kyar, doc? Skoit notice, not to gi “T don’t care! Manufacturers’ Association, they should send out a a job to Tony Martinelli.” hissed Tony. ‘Now, I wouldn’t work for you for a million dollars! If I got no job, my wife's got a job. Her boss wouldn’t fire her—she's the best finisher in the shop.” “By who?” flashed, Markowitz, suspiciously. “By you!” And the discharged cutter defi- antly banged the door, with the big red let- tered “exit” sign, be- hind him. Good Control Does your janitor keep his temper? Time after time I have heard tenants call Willis Gillis—Ves. him names because their rooms were so cold and I have never known him to reply with any heat. Looking Ahead Four-year-old (sobbing)—I can’t wear my new dress! It’s too big for me. Six-year-old—YVe ) you shall, dearie, just as quick as it gets small enough for y The Rule Willis—So you just returned from a trip to New York. What impressed you the most down there? Gillis—How cheap the people can live and don’t. Doctor—Well, it has all the symptoms of grip— irregular pulse, convulsions, and high temperature. THE H. C. OF L. WHEN the wholesale price of meat goes up 2c a pound, the retailer increases it 6c. When the wholesale price of flour goes up 20c a barrel, the retailer lifts the price $1, the baker adds 2c a loaf to bread and milk toast becomes 75c a portion at the hotel. When woolens increase soc per yard the tailor charges $15 more for making a suit. When the landlord spends $50 in repairs on the house your rent is raised $500 on the year. When a tire is punctured on the motor-hearse, the under- taker— But your heirs may worry over that.—W’. D. Nesbit. Providential He—TI guess they are glad they saved up and bought a home. She—Well, I guess! Why, if they hadn't, what could they mortgage to get their car? Broker (discussing business with his partner)—And so I think T'll take a chance. Counter man (thinking he has been addressed) —One hash! comicbooks.com