Judge, 1934-06 · page 9 of 41
Judge — June 1934 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explaining "The Back-Home Paper" to Modern Readers This page satirizes New Deal government programs of the 1930s Depression era through small-town gossip. The column references the **CWA** (Civil Works Administration), **PWA** (Public Works Administration), **AAA** (Agricultural Adjustment Administration), and **CCC** (Civilian Conservation Corps)—all actual New Deal agencies. The jokes mock how these programs affected ordinary people: farmers disposing of land hoping for AAA support, grocery owners cashing relief checks, young men from the CCC looking prosperous, and government projects like waterworks being torn down and rebuilt. The cartoon shows a boy carrying boxes (likely relief packages), joking about military salutes—suggesting these government handouts resembled military-style provisions. The "Snoops Detective Agency" panel satirizes bureaucratic incompetence. Overall, Judge presents New Deal aid as both absurd and potentially corrupting, reflecting conservative skepticism about Depression-era government intervention, while acknowledging its pervasive presence in American life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
" Judge The Back-Home Paper N RS. Lester P. Quimby of Elm ) Street, CWA inspector of condi- tions among the PWA families, Sun- dayed with her mother in Daisytown Mr. George Fox has disposed of his farm on the Wheatland road and has gone to the County Seat. where he ex- pects something to turn up with the AAA Harry Brooks, proprietor of the White Front Grocery, cashed in three shoe-boxes full of week and went to F ef orders last 4 be A couple of CCC boys were in town Saturday night. Your correspondent could not learn their names but. they looked well and had money in’ their pockets They began last week to tear down the waterworks to make way for the five hundred thousand dollar PWA fil- 4 n plant. The work was held up use all the workingmen were busy with the CWA “Hey, Mom, suppose somebody salutes me?” SNOOPS Ty H bat , he Hennessy baby has DETECTIVE picked up considerable since J she’s been on Federal milk. Regular carrots seem to suit her all right. S Miss Minnie Fish, the well- S known school teacher, say 7 as soon as she gets he 7 pay she’s going to me W nd see if Roosevelt can’t get her on as a counsellor at a woman's camp. Steve Harrigan complained last week to the Administrator about the size of the coal he’s heen getting from the Govern- ment. Seems like Steve has had to get up in the mornings and open the drafts to make the fire last. The Administrator J said he'd take it up with Wash- ington and maybe he'd make a special trip. —MeCready Huston. Perfect HERE'S our wife for you. She solved a prize puzzle in a newspaper and sent it in. A few days later she got a v check from the paper and a let- ter saying that they were mak- ing a new puzzle out of he: solution. 7 comicbooks.com