Life — December 28, 1905 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Question" - Life Magazine Satire This page presents a story dialogue between Santa Claus and the Stork about an unwanted baby. The accompanying illustration titled "THE QUESTION" (credited as "answered by our president") shows a baby's head in profile. The satire addresses **life insurance and agent commissions**. The text explains how Santa Claus placed a perfect baby with manufacturers to use as a photographer's model—a commentary on commercializing infants. The final section mocks how insurance agents exploit policy-holders by inflating commissions relative to actual premiums. The "answer by our president" caption suggests the magazine's editor or a prominent figure is ironically endorsing this mercenary treatment of babies and insurance fraud, satirizing both commercialism and unethical business practices of the era.