Life, 1911-04-27 · page 7 of 44
Life — April 27, 1911 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes capitalist exploitation during industrial labor disputes. A well-dressed capitalist (center, top hat) stands inside a locked factory labeled "OVER-PRODUCTION," surrounded by warehouse sections marked "CLOTHING," "FOOD," and "FEED." Outside the fence, a desperate laborer says: "Say! I've got to have work! My family is starving." The capitalist's response: "Ah, but I've got over-production. The joke is on you; why don't you laugh?" The satire is bitter: despite warehouses overflowing with goods (food, clothing), the capitalist refuses to employ workers or distribute supplies, claiming "over-production" justifies keeping people hungry. The "April Fool" title suggests this logic is absurd—yet tragically real. The cartoon critiques how capitalist systems can produce abundance while workers starve.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
belief This Number is engaged in a continuous acy to hoodwink itself into that the largest part of it r and that there is no help for s a whole, or, if orical known shrugs its. shoulders for you person: g; it is immensely sorry BREADWINNERS the children who grind out in the hours of childhood. It is tated about t the worthy men out of a job many other apparent But, the inevitable ; of things and few people at slums, says world, the are simple fac rich the of of the scale are ho and incongruitics “ these throwing factories Iso agi des of about evils the nature t that a ther end away Laborer: say! Capitalist: an, met i've G APRIL FOOL I've Got TO MAVE worK! My OVER-PRODUCTION. THE JOKE FAMILY 18 1s ON you; money and the case Once reveal what they can ¢ good aspects, as done. knows what he Then he will cating seives to death has nothi means get and Socialism, what he ought to have STARVING, WHY DON’T You LAUGH? what he drinking them- to do with to the masses of people and the thing is as in its larger wants and comicbooks.com