Life, 1915-06-17 · page 9 of 52
Life — June 17, 1915 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon:** A teacher leads schoolchildren outdoors, exclaiming about the "big sky." One child (Johnnie) asks "Out—out—ger?" The joke appears to be about rural children's unfamiliarity with outdoor space or unusual speech patterns—likely satirizing either rural dialect or children's mispronunciation. **"Historical Fragment":** This section discusses taxation policy, specifically critiquing proposals to tax the wealthy differently. It argues that collecting taxes from the rich (via railroad tickets, trolley fares) would be efficient and prevent them from evading taxes—a progressive taxation argument. **Bottom Cartoon:** A domestic scene where Mrs. Homespun reads that a wife in Formosa costs five dollars. Mr. H. replies "A good wife is worth it"—a joke about marital value and economic worth.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Johnnie of the tenement: ou—on—cer! Teacher: WHAT 1s IT, JOUNNIE? “cee! WHAT A BIG SKY THEY GoT oUT HERE!” Historical Fragment THE question of taxation now being uppermost, it be- came a matter of vital importance to raise a sufficient revenue without imposing too great a burden upon the rich, It was very well brought out by those in charge that the money to maintain the government must be obtained with- out delay, and, inasmuch as the rich had practically every- thing charged, it was thought that they would on this account be fairly well protected. For example, a tax on railroad tickets and trolley fares would inevitably be collected at once, and the rich would be practically exempt, as most of them rode in motor-cars. The danger lay in some irresponsible person calling atten- tion to this fact, and creating a dangerous revolutionary spirit in taxation, namely, that the rich should pay in proportion to their means. As nobody, however, thought of proposing such an un- Mrs, Homespun: THIS PAPER SAYS A WIFE IN tried experiment, the danger was passed, and the poor FORMOSA COSTS FIVE DOLLARS continued to pay the main amount, as heretofore. Mr, H.: WELL, A GooD WIFE IS WORTH IT