Life, 1921-09-01 · page 11 of 35
Life — September 1, 1921 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical comic strip mocks a government official's (likely a bureau chief) contradictory actions regarding budget cuts. **The sequence:** The official declares to his staff that "taxpayers are groaning" and announces major downsizing—claiming 1,251 of 1,249 bureau employees are unnecessary. He then dramatically refuses to listen to Senators and Representatives pleading for mercy, vowing to "ruthlessly cut down the pay roll." **The punchline:** Despite his fierce rhetoric about economy, he dismisses only a single office boy, saving a mere $9.25 weekly—a trivial amount compared to his grand promises. **The satire:** This mocks politicians who grandstand about fiscal responsibility and government waste while taking minimal actual action, protecting their own bureaucratic interests while appearing to address taxpayer concerns.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
September 1 Economy Begins in Washington 4 ff \ Ly 7 Nitd \/ The bureau chief to his men: “The taxpayers are groaning. The government must economize and I am determined that the bureau of seals and fishes shall lead the way “If you had any duties you would do them well, but after a careful survey I find that of the 1,251 employees of the bureau, 1,249 are unnecessary, and with the departments reorganized the count Det OG iW 4 af f * ‘Is that right? No! 1 shall close my ears to the pleas of Senators, Representatives and other patrons of the civil service and fearlessly, ruthlessly cut down the pay roll of the bureau EI IIR i “And I therefore declare that the office boy is dismissed from the service and his salary of $9.25 a week saved to the taxpayers of this country comicbooks.com