154. Today in 1920s Turkey: 17 December 1925 (From Collecting Tolls to Teaching Boxing)
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Toll collectors, like tax collectors, and parking ticket clerks, enjoy little social prestige from the communities they “serve” regardless of historical period or geography. 1920s Turkey is no exception. In 1925 the removal of the toll on Istanbul’s busy Galata Bridge connecting the district of Beyoğlu to the historical peninsula (Fatih district) was briefly considered and news about this possible change circulated in the press. The toll, which was applied to both vehicles and pedestrians alike, was considered a burden by most and effectively limited the mobility of the lower economic classes within the city. Sadly, for the people of 1925, it was not until 1930 that the Galata Bridge toll was finally lifted. Thus, although this cartoon anticipates the toll’s near-future removal, such welcomed relief was still 5 years away.
English:
The Bridge Toll is being removed…
— What job will you do after this one?
— I am going to teach boxing!Türkçe:
Köprü Mürüriyesi kalkıyor…
— Bundan sonra ne iş yapacaksın?
— Boks muallimliği edeceğim!
This cartoon supports the proposed change by showing only a passing concern for the livelihood of the toll collectors who may soon find themselves without jobs. By suggesting that the former toll collectors can most easily transition to the field of boxing, the cartoonist reveals the physically abusive ways in which the toll collectors performed their job. Both tolls and the sport of boxing are subjects that have been covered in Today in 1920s Turkey in previous posts. For a story about toll collecting in an Anatolian town see #86: Toll Trolls on a Turkish Bridge, and for a story about the popularity of boxing see #123: Sports and Boxing among the Youth.
Originally published at https://steemit.com on December 18, 2018.
