Judge, 1920-04-10 · page 5 of 36
Judge — April 10, 1920 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Millennium at Washington" by Frederick L. Allen This satirical cartoon depicts a Platinum Wage Conference meeting where labor representatives—shown as caricatured working-class figures—seek a 100% wage increase ("return ticket"). The tall figure on the right, identified as Mr. Boggs of the United Platinum Workers, presents their demands while the Conference Chairman attempts to manage the meeting. The satire mocks both sides: the workers' apparently unrealistic wage demands and the employers' condescending dismissal of labor concerns. The "millennium" reference suggests the impossibility of workers achieving such gains. The cartoon satirizes the growing labor-management tensions of the early 20th century, presenting wage negotiations as absurdly theatrical rather than serious economic debate.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Draven by Onsox Lave ris Oxe Hunprep Per Cent. AMERICAN OR A Return Ticket The Millennium at Washington ALLEN By Freperick L. ‘YT was a happy morning when the millennium came to Washington. It was a particularly happy morn- ing for the Chairman of the Platinum Wage Con- ference, who for many days had been striving to induce the employers and employees of the plat- inum industry to agree upon a scale of wages; for he was to preside at an adjourned meeting of the Confer- ence that very afternoon, and he had feared that it would break up in discord, as other similar meetings had broken up not so long since. When he read in the morning paper that the millennium had actually ar- rived, the news seemed too good to be true He was a careful man, and he spent the morning verifying the report. He had been foo ed by a prema- ture announcement of the armistice of November, 1918, and he didn’t propose to be misled by this millennium of 1920. But everything confirmed the news. ‘There Was a new feeling in the air, a new geniality in the faces of the people in the streets; there were other signs. The Senate began the day by abandoning five separate investigations of Bolshevism, and in a burst of energy Secretary Daniels bought an up-to-date hat. Rents in Washington apartment houses came down. The Postmaster-General resigned It was with a joyful heart that the Chairman of the Platinum Wage Conference laid down a Hearst news- paper containing a sober plea for justice to Mexico, and betook himself to the meeting of the Conference. The spacious conference room was a scene of passed a couple of bills. joviality and good fellowship, and when the Chairman reached his desk to call the meeting together, it was all he could do to make his gavel heard. “Gentlemen, gentlemen!” he cried, “the meeting is called to order. May | ask you to take your places? No, really, you must separate, if only for the sake of form- operators on this side of the aisle, miners on the other. It won't be for long. We shall have plenty of opportunity for a good time later in the afternoc gentlemen. Now I will ask Mr. Biggs, the Chairm, of the Platinum Operators’ Committee, to state his offer.” Mr. Biggs laid down the copy of the New Republic, ding to broaden his mind, and rose jous smile. * said he, “we are going to propose to our friends, the miners, something which we fear it will be difficult for them to accept. But we beg them to indulge us. We are selfish in this matter, perhaps; but we do want to express in no uncertain terms our appre- ciation of the Quixotic spirit of the United Platinum Workers. Very humbly we ask them to accept, as ar insufficient token of our regard, a raise of one hundred which he had been re; to his feet with an ir “Mr. Chairmar per cent.” There was a rattle of applause from the representa- tives of the United Platinum Workers. “Mr. Boggs,” said the Chairman, smiling happily, “Wwe await your answer.” Mr. Boggs, President of the United Platinum Work- comicbooks.com