Life — December 27, 1917 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "He Wouldn't Work" - Labor Day Commentary This cartoon depicts a domestic scene where a mistress questions a discharged worker (Chloe Johnson) about his unhappy marriage. Johnson explains he was laid off on Labor Day because he "wouldn't work." The surrounding text discusses banking and bond-keeping, suggesting satirical commentary on post-WWI economic issues. A piece titled "Wanted: Safe-Keeping for Bonds" addresses thousands buying Liberty Bonds but lacking secure storage—referencing concerns about where citizens should keep war bonds and securities. The cartoon's joke plays on "wouldn't work" as both literal unemployment and marital discord, while the accompanying financial discussion critiques economic anxieties of the era regarding bond safety and capital-labor relations.