Judge — September 6, 1919 — page 23: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page satirizes the ongoing cost-of-living crisis (H.C.L. = "High Cost of Living"). The headline announces that inflation remains a persistent problem despite efforts to address it. The cartoon vignettes show H.C.L. personified as a character creating havoc across American life: someone can't afford groceries, a man jumps from a building, a tiger (symbolizing the beast of rising costs) prowls menacingly, and people struggle with expenses. The captions reference real newspaper headlines from major cities (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tacoma), suggesting this was a widespread national concern. The satire mocks the failure of authorities to control inflation, presenting the cost-of-living as an unstoppable force destroying ordinary Americans' finances and—darkly—driving some to desperation. The cartoon reflects post-WWI economic anxieties.