Life, 1910-04-14 · page 42 of 44
Life — April 14, 1910 — page 42: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This brief editorial satire criticizes the absence of a U.S. parcel post system. The piece notes the irony that Central American countries can ship eleven-pound packages domestically for 12 cents per pound, yet American citizens cannot use their own postal service for the same purpose. Instead, they're forced to split parcels into smaller pieces and pay 16 cents per pound through private express companies. The satire targets both the inefficiency of the U.S. postal system and the profit-driven "express Trust" (likely referring to monopolistic express delivery companies) that benefits from this gap. The author suggests that establishing a federal parcel post would solve the post office's financial deficit while breaking the private companies' stranglehold on package delivery. This reflects genuine Progressive Era debates over postal reform—a parcel post system was eventually established in 1913.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘Why Not Have A. Parcels-Post ? A Central American may, send an cleven-pound package to any point in the United States at 12 cents a pound, but no citizen of this land of the free j 7 and a supply of could get Uncle Sam to carry an the postal service: Now hear them cleven-pound parcel from anywhere in Sqaeal 1955; long sas. there is an 9 J press Trust, just so long will there be P 8 ; and regulations that are in force, bene- press Trust. Are you on? In order ‘ 4 , to ‘ship. that eleven-pound parcel by the Eeapress Trust and the wonder $s Uncle Sam's channels, you'd have to . paneer bind that th le hav bl it split it into three parcels of four lone rie eal oe led to i —_ or less and pay 16 cents a —Beach’s Magi T’'ve come to the conclusion that the best way to settle the P. O. deficit is to abolish the express companies, and then get rid of some of the 'eads in —with a good friend to share it. Could mortal ask for greaterjoy? Happy Days and Evans’ Ale go together Leading Dealers and Places €. H. EVANS & SONS, Hudson, N.Y. 7 A W elcome Gift Triumphs of Vivisection (Continued from page 701) . Conyright 1909 Lite Pebluhing Company is the only germ that appears to suit ln the expert’s fancy. Then there is the marvelous diph- theria bacillus. Patients may have diphtheria without the bacillus; they may have the bacillus without the diph- the bacillus may be squirted into a guinea pig and yet produce a different kind of “diphtheria” alto- gether from what it is expected to do, but still the expert says it is the true cause of diphtheria, and you are called upon to accept the word of the expert as if it had been supported by the un- impeachable evidence of a law court. DIFFICULTIES FASILY SOLVED When the various patients who hap- pen to suffer from one of these definite diseases recovers—in consumption, for RC LaSION Ne ee instance—the tubercle bacilli frequent- ly gradually disappear, and the scien- tific expert concludes that they have been killed or swallowed up, or that something mysterious has happened to them; he doesn't know exactly what, LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY, t7 W, 3rst St., New York for it is contrary to science to suppose that they could be alive and active and Conn te Petting Compa yet the patient get well! There is no proof that the micro-organisms hav been killed or that they are even dead; but that doesn’t matter. It is a“ scien- tific fact”! The question naturally arises, “ Who killed Cock Robin?" These prints are facsimile reproductions in the colors of the orig- inal drawings. ‘They are mounted for framing 14 by 17 inches and cost $1.00 each. We Want Your Wife who cannot eat anything without Acidity, Gases, Bloating, Belching, Distress after Eating, Nausea, to “Try One More Good Dinn: —anything she desires or craves—and while eating Sip MAN-A-CEA WATER THE MANGANESE Natural Spring You Can Stop Her Suffering To-Day. Recommended and sold by—NEW YORK. Pare & Tilloed —Acker Merrai! & Condit Co.--Charles & Co. —Hegeman— ADELPHIA: | Fetcher & Co—Arkers BOSTON, ._S- Pence Co. BALTIMORE, Jordan Stabler Co. : PITTSBURG, Geo. Ky Stevensoe & Co. BUFFA Ane. poate & Boks | Co. ; DETROIT. O'Reien & Comoany. CHICAGO. C.’ Jevae & Co.; ST LOUIS, vss Nichaaon Grocer Co. CINCINNATI. Jon K, Petes Sons | Gog MEMPHIS, White Wilson Drew Co. ATLANTA. luca WASHINGTON, Thompsoos’ Pharmacy: ES, HM. Jerae & Ce. Send for Booklet. MAN-A-CEA WATER OO., 13 Stone St., New York. comicbooks.com