Life, 1910-02-10 · page 12 of 36
Life — February 10, 1910 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"Cost of Living" Section:** The left column discusses living expenses and includes price lists for various goods (music boxes, silk tops, embroidered wall hangings). This appears to be satirizing how economists and politicians attempt to quantify and justify rising costs. **"Mayors Trying to Be Good":** The main article critiques new mayors—specifically mentioning Pittsburgh's mayor and Boston's Mayor Fitzgerald—who claim to promote governmental virtue and economy. The satire suggests these reformist pledges are performative; the text questions whether such mayors will maintain their promises or become corrupted by political machines. **Bottom Cartoon:** Labeled "Well Raised," this depicts child-rearing, with the caption joking about teaching children "practical jokes." It's a humorous commentary on parenting philosophies. The page overall satirizes politicians' reform rhetoric and living cost debates of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LIPE* Cost of Living OST of living has been generally considered a mere catch phrase for the use of the slag stirrers and pig iron workers in raising wage seales, to get the preamble of the Socialists’ platforms well under way, and to furnish the statisticians and political economists something to figure on between visible crop supplies. The trend of recent events, however, has demonstrated that cost of living is not merely a glib bogie phrase to be hurled and thundered by the wild insurgents of the Platte region, but is the sternest and barest reality By the use of the deadly parallel it may be clearly seen how Mr. Cost 0° Living has ob- traded since the days of our fathers: Now THEN Aurora music box, rendering“ Annie Rooney "* seeees $15.00 Pianola, with rolls punched for Wag- nerian thunder music, Strauss waltz-reveries, ete accylinder, 30-h. D. sliding gear trans- mission touring caf eee Quarter sawed, oaken sectional bookcases from Grand _ Rapids, with Hall Cai McCutcheon, Grath & Co. in red silk and gilt iavessenas 800.00 of Embroidered = wall ’ text, “Kindness Makes Friends". Wheeling stogic. ... $750.00 Old Dobbin, _buck- board, harness, etc. 1,250.00 “Pearls of Precious Promise, on top of kitchen safe.... Original son's “Lady o Dreams" Cuban perfecto, hand made.. 150.00 “{ WANT YOU LITTLE DEVILS TO UNDERSTAND THAT SO LONG AS 17M PAID E THAT IT IS RAISED PROPERLY, FIRST CLASS IN TO RAISE HOB I’M GOING T0 PRACTICAL JOKE: Clark's Tour, Ri- viera, Nile, Holy Land, ete. Trip to State Horti- cultural Associa tion, including red lemonade, peanuts, ete: aaseseeveees Edgar Allan Poe, soo words .. aus Cramp colic remedies Commander Peary’s story, per word.. Appendicitis, opera- tion, nurses... 750.00 Thus it is shown that if this much-discussed gentleman continues to remain among us we will soon be the happiest, giddiest, speediest, broadest people on earth. Cost 0° Living, here's to you, olu bogie! and ever be with us. Mayors Trying to Be Good Mayor-clect Fitzgerald's first appointments are in the line of economy. He says that if there is to be a saving to the city through. out City Hall it. should begin in the Mayor's office. Thus he cuts the salaries of his private secretary, assistant secretary, chief clerk, chief stenographer and license clerk.—Boston paper. May you ever HERE, scems to be something like an epidemic of virtue among the new mayors. The new mayor of Pittsburg, a boss and the son of a boss, is described in columns-long pieces as making an extreme effort to give Pittsburg excellent government while at the same time he maintains an efficient political machine. Since Mayor Gaynor took office the path of virtue has been geographically identified with a line start- ing at the mayor's house in Brooklyn and running to the City Hall in Manhattan. His words have been exemplary, his ap- pointments have varied from fair to good, he has put Tam- many on a strict reducing dict and exerted himself to make gentle men of the police. Now if Fitzgerald of Boston undertakes to be good and Mayor Gaynor keeps on being good, and that Pittsburg execu- tive does not get tired of works of grace, we shall be in danger of secing it accepted as a new rule in American poli- tics, “In municipal clections vote for the worst reviled can- didate.” But maybe that new mayor in San Francisco, whose election was so much lamented in the papers, is making bad and will retard the New Rule. On the other hand, maybe the Americans who live in cities are developing a real taste for decent government. so that (except, of course, in Phil delphia) it is not going to be safe to give them rotten munici- pal government much more. Reassuring RESIDENT TAFT has said that Secretary Ballinger is a truly good man and Secretary. The question still sur- vives in some minds whether Mr. Ballinger has always been good or has become so through the efforts of missed For- ester Pinchot, Discharged Watchdog Glavis, Collier’s Weekly and other reform- atory influences. Pending settlement of the question it is reassuring to mark a ition in the influences to stay on their job. Discovered at Last HE LITTLE BOY Miss Columbia? Tue Motner: Uncle Sam’s affinity. Mamma, who is thing like Christian Science should I" is eminently fitting that an illogical have been started by a woman, comicbooks.com