Judge, 1933-05 · page 9 of 36
Judge — May 1933 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Mrs. Jones Goes to Town" This satirical story mocks Depression-era economic anxiety and New Deal bureaucracy. Mrs. Jones instructs her maid Matilda with absurd priorities: she must wait in line at the bank to check if a six-week-old deposit has cleared, discuss becoming "conservator" for the family finances, and handle a yard man by referencing Federal Reserve gold reserves. The satire targets: - **Banking paralysis**: Deposits take weeks to clear - **Economic confusion**: Citizens obsessively calculating inflation to "four decimal places" - **New Deal jargon**: References to Professor Tugwell (a Roosevelt advisor) and economic planning - **Class pretense**: The wealthy Joneses performing anxiety while assuring themselves they're morally superior to "rich, comfortable hoarders" The bottom cartoon shows a butcher display labeled "Bock Beef"—likely mocking rationing or meat distribution controls. The humor lies in depicting respectable middle-class people as simultaneously bewildered by and desperately trying to master incomprehensible economic systems.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Judge Mrs. Jones Goes to Town By McCready Huston “M ATILDA,” said Mrs. Wesley DP. Jones to her hired I girl, “L wish you would earmark some bread and butter and put it on the kitchen table for Hector when he comes ome from school. I have to go downtown and stand Sar _* Sapabe - ae in line at the Bank to see if a check which I deposited six wa - weeks has cleared. If it has, the chances are I shall stop 4 grocery and ask the manager to name me c servator for the Jones family. That will enable me to carry om the organization while Mr. Jones is having his teeth gone over so as to be in condi port on to take advan of his op- nities, “While Iam out IT would prefer to have on the radio while you are establis! moratorium ng a credit with me through performing your upstairs duties without thought of »rofit “Ii the yard man comes to the door, tell him the lawn mower wil sed to us by the repair shop upon the re. with three signatures, which you will find sk. Lf he says anything aby s pay, tell him that deral Reserve now has enough gold on hand to give t confidence. If that doesn’t sat him, you may give him this dollar, which is one of the ones and therefore worth more in units of work. “Do not think about dinner preparations. Remember that in this country there is no lack of food but that it is all a atter of distribution, When T get back [ will sit down and estimate our position in relation to the commodities markets. Today I notice a changed feeling among the peo- be rel ceipt of a note on my the I im a feeling of qu ad ple I have me 1 if [ observe a conti: , nance of it down- town [ shall let you get a steak. NEHER. “Can you get me some official station ery of this place? I want to send a letter to a couple of cre “Please be careful not to disturb Mr. Jones, for he is two weeks behind in his reading on economic conditions nd until he completes his studies of Professor Tugwell’s plans he cannot give a decision on the position which has just been offered him. By next Tuesday he expects to get the effect of inflation on the proposed salary fig- ured to four decimal places and if he is not more than six-tenths of one per cent off he probably will accept. In the meantime he must have rest and quiet “JT HOPE, Matilda, you appreciate living in the most interesting age H of our history and are not permitting material things to disturb your poise. Remember what the President said in his last short, crisp Message. Be proud that you are not living in the family of some rich, comfortable “Fin sorry but Pin not using models right now.” hoarder.” 7 comichooks.