Judge — May 24, 1924 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes industrial labor exploitation. A massive typewriter dominates the composition, with tiny human figures positioned around it—some operating the machine, others observing from a platform. The typewriter's keys appear to contain coins or circular objects, suggesting that profits are literally generated from the machine's operation. The title "Net Profits" is a pun: the visible net/mesh structure at the base implies that profits are extracted or filtered from labor. The workers' small scale relative to the industrial machinery emphasizes their insignificance compared to the profits produced. This appears to be social commentary on how modern industrial capitalism generates wealth while minimizing worker value—a common Progressive Era criticism in early 20th-century satirical magazines like *Judge*.