Judge, 1923-10-27 · page 9 of 36
Judge — October 27, 1923 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Algebra Trust" - Judge Magazine Satire This page satirizes inefficient educational bureaucracy and the fantasy of consolidating teaching labor. **The Setup:** A teacher proposes using microphones to broadcast his algebra lesson to multiple classes simultaneously, then imagines the logical extreme: teaching all students across New York, the entire Northeast, and eventually the continent from his bed, with a valet announcing his lesson and a secretary broadcasting homework answers. **The Satire:** The cartoon mocks: 1. **Educational "trusts"** (monopolistic consolidation) — similar to contemporary corporate trusts being debated 2. **Teacher laziness and self-interest** — the instructor's fantasy of maximum pay for minimal work 3. **Technology utopianism** — naive faith that broadcasting could replace in-person education 4. **Labor displacement** — replacing thousands of teachers with one, a capitalist efficiency scheme presented absurdly **The Joke:** The final equation "X=WJZ+WEAP" is nonsensical algebra, mocking both the scheme's logic and the subject itself. The "You can't keep a good hair down" caption references the hair-raising absurdity of the proposal.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Algebra Trust by Cyril B. Egan I AM_a teacher. I teach algebra the same lesson Now I have come to the conclusion that four of my five periods are a sheer waste of time. five periods a day— h period. Why should I not teach my first class and at the same time, by of a microphone and mathematical vies, broadcast said lesson to the four other classes? This would cut my work down to three quarters of an hour a day; and all the pupils would then get the benefit of my pedagogy while the pedagogue’s brain was still fresh and active. Or better still—I think I shall not go You can’t keep a good hair down. to work at all. at home in be Why should I not remain und propped up by many pillows, broade: lesson as I consume the matutin nd coffee. My valet shall call me: “Nine o'clock, si time to give the boys their alg son!’ And then he shall announ the microphone: “Mr. C. B. EF; known algebra teacher of New York, will now talk for three quarters of an hour on Homogeneous Equations of the Second Degree!” And if I can teach five classes in this manner, what is to stop me from teaching all New York, City and State—all of New Jer: New England—the entire United § Why should I not in- struct the entire continent of algebra scholars by this novel and pleasing method? Mut — Gross Then, too, there shall be no need of the scholars reporting to class for my peric may all remain in bed, ely to the loudspeaker y working the problems on the Atnight, my secretary shall broadeast the home work, and announce the answers to the class work. All papers 1 will correct by mental telepathy. This ingenious plan ought to solve the scholastic seating problem. Also where thousands of algebra teachers were once nded, only one sh Ps Also a gi fi effected, as this part teacher shall be willing to give his services for on alf the combined salaries of all gebra teachers of the world. use me while I figure it out : Thave X=WJZ+4+WEAP. comicbooks.com