Life, 1913-08-14 · page 13 of 40
Life — August 14, 1913 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical letter-to-the-editor piece mocking concerns about income tax increases causing poverty among wealthy people. A Japanese schoolboy writes to *Life* magazine's editor, ostensibly seeking financial wisdom from "Hon." (Honorable) figures. The satire targets wealthy Americans—including references to Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Morgan—by ironically suggesting that income taxes on the rich cause *them* poverty. The letter ridicules the wealthy's complaints, noting they own estates, churches, and oil companies yet claim hardship. The cartoon at bottom shows various impoverished figures surrounding an income tax collector, sarcastically captioned about "holding his valise"—suggesting the tax collector himself is the victim being robbed. The joke: the ultra-wealthy's claims that taxation impoverishes them are absurd and deserve mockery.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“DRE Letters of a Japanese Schoolboy Will Hou. Income Tax Increase Poverty Among Rich? To Editor “Life Paper,” who publish no Financial Department, therefore can joke without its costing something, EAREST SIR: Last week, after previously obtaining 6$ weekly by table-waiting at home of Mrs. C. W. Levashky, Irish boarding houser, I suddenly become enriched to 10$ weekly pay- ment carrying bell-hopping messages in Hotel Spotlight, Eddy Street. Pretty soonly my cousin Nogi approach to me, like I expect, with expression peculiar to 25¢ loan. “I congratulate!” he say with smiling hand. “ Next to being rich myself I admire it most in my cousins. Already I feel like sharing your happiness.” “All poor cousins feels similar to you,” I renig hottily. Nogi enjoy great disgust to see how ice I seem. “When folks is struck suddenly by wealth,” he nudge, “it are customary to purchase slight beer drunk for friends and appear joyful.” “When I obtained 6$ weekly I thought similar,” I dib, “But each uprise in my finance make me more Hetty Green, Also I must worry. Since Hon. Wilson become King of America, Hon. Income Tax go snoobing around with slush-hound expression peculiar to Wm. Burns.” “Do Income Tax increase poverty among rich?" require Nogi, who must be told considerable education by me. “With very rapid quickness,” I snagger. “If you do not believe it, you should watch Hon. Collector when he go around. Fortunes what, yesterday, was considered too large to be modest seem to swallow themselves for frights when Hon. Tax approach. That Income Taxer cause more poverty than Wall Street.” “How he proceed to persecute wealthy personalities?” Nogi snuggest. “Firstly he look in Hon. Hearstpaper to see who is richest man in world that day. Hon. Hearstpaper say, ‘Hon. Rockefeller Owns America!!!’ ‘This would be nice profit for Hon, Mc Adieu, U. S. Treasurer to get it,’ report Hon. Income Taxer putting on his subpoena and railroad- ing to Tarrytown where Hon. Jno are doing so. He observed that fa- mus oiler eloping over grass gathering 2nd hand golluf balls for economy. ‘Hon. Jno, I am told you are rich,’ holla Hon. Taxer eggerly. ‘ You must disbe- lieve what you hear in news prints. I am merely a worm,’ renig Hon. Jno for Christian smilings. ‘Are you not owner of some properties?’ require Hon. Tax. ‘I still possess some slight real estates in Tarrytown,’ say Jno, ‘but that will soonly be removed from me by Supreme Court. The rest of my money are invested in churches and pipe-lines which are exempted from taxation as Sacred & Educational Institutions.’ Hon. Taxer, who are poor man and can simpithize, require, ‘With such poverty, how you manage to obtain bread for your butter?’ ‘My lifelong friend, Hon. Jno D. Archbold, still retain me on his list of pensioners.’ ‘Have you not some Stand- ard Oils yet to sell?’ negotiate that collect man. ‘ Standard Oil are dissolved away,’ grieve Jno. ‘If you not believe this, ask any Chief Justice you meet.’ ‘I shall report you to Associated Charities,’ gubble Hon. Tax making weeps to think anybody so rich must go to Alum House. “This Income Tax go from elsewhere to elsewhere ex- pecting to obtain slight contribution for U. S. Treasurer. Whenever he observe a marble house with Vanderbilt cur- tains he know that this is another home of poverty. Hon. Jr Pierpont Morgan are not at home, but his housekeeper report he got nearly nothing from his father except a few second hand portraits. Hon. Carnegie are in Holland arranging peace between Japan and California. When Hon. Tax telephone to that great Sandy Claus at Hague, Hon. Carnegie report, ‘My boy, if I had anything left, I should gladly give you all. Giving are my curse,’ he deploriate. So Hon. Tax turn to other Moncy Trusters. Hon. Frick, Hon. Vanderbilt, Hon. Astor, have saw him first and reduced their salary to 1,200$ yearly so to go on free list. But. Hon. Schiff, who are a business man, when he sce Hon. Tax approaching up, pay corporation Rr Ce YOU WILL GO AROUND WITLL HON. INCOME COLLECTOR AND HOLD MIS VALISE” comicbooks.com