Judge, 1931-10-17 · page 9 of 36
Judge — October 17, 1931 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Judge" Page: Gold Standard Economics Satire This page satirizes public confusion about the gold standard during the Great Depression era. The main cartoon depicts a dialogue between "Jim" (apparently an economist or informed man) and "Hilda" (an average woman), where he struggles to explain why countries abandoned the gold standard—the monetary system backing paper currency with physical gold reserves. The satire targets both parties: Hilda's willful ignorance ("If I knew, Jim, would I ask you?") and Jim's condescending, circular explanations that ultimately fail to clarify anything. The joke is that even experts couldn't adequately explain economic policy to ordinary citizens. The secondary cartoon shows three men entering a "Dancing" establishment, with a college man quip about football, offering lighter relief. The "Write Your Own Jokes" section provides depression-era humor prompts, reflecting Judge's satirical response to 1930s economic crisis and social anxiety.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Joe dear, will you explain to ine about land? I can’t see reason for their going on the ge standard.” They haven't gone on the gold standard, Hilda, they've gone off it.” Oh, ves. Well, what does that Why—don't you know what. the gold standard is? You've been on it All your life.” “Tf LE knew, Jim, would Task you?" 1 THE ECONOMIST JUDGE “DT said (O. KZ Only that.” “You're being horrid, Jim—and stubborn. st won't admit that workable, but per- my idea is not fectly simple “Oh, T admit that.” “ and that it’s just as I said to start) with: needed to did they?" * darling. Only they went off.” Wistrrep Wintis England never really yon the gold standard “Boy! These Yale babies are tough!” I don’t suppose so, Well, it's like this: All the gold standard, Powers are on the nd we issue our paper money on that assumption. Now, when’ a country hasn't any gold left in its treasury to back up its paper money, it has to—sometimes only temporarily—adopt a new and lower ndard, doesn't it? You see——” ‘Can't they just use the paper money and not bother about the gold? Then when the they ean———” ret some gold again, ood Lord, how can they issue paper money without gold behind it, any more than you ean write checks nthe ban with no money “But, Jim, how could people know if there was gold in the treasury, or not? People don’t go and look in, do they? 1 don’t mean the Government should be dishonest, they could just not say anything one way or the other "y got some gold again and “O. K “What's that?” Apbvertisinc Acent—You — hav contacted and convinced me—here’s five cents, Write Your Own Jokes TT depression is so bad that... . What this country needs is... Then there was a Seotehman WHO. nes Statisticians claim that if all the .. in the country were laid end to end they would The old-f, but the modern girl . He wiscere vem The fellow who used to lock the barn door after the horse was stolen now... —R. C. O. Cottrce Maxn—IWhy, you old son-of-a-qun—I didn’t know you were out for football! comicbooks.com