Life, 1912-01-18 · page 35 of 44
Life — January 18, 1912 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a satirical essay "On Banks and Banking" alongside period advertisements. **The Essay's Satire:** The unnamed author mocks banker hypocrisy and mood-dependent lending practices. When money is plentiful, banks eagerly loan to anyone holding worthless securities ("Balloon Common," "Smoke Preferred"). When money tightens, the same banks coldly demand clients replace these holdings with government bonds. The essay suggests this capriciousness drives crime—bankers' arbitrary cruelty creates desperation. The author also critiques class bias: bankers judge applicants by appearance, meaning those most needing loans (appearing poor) face the harshest rejection. The reference to "Hetty Green" (a wealthy but famously frugal woman) underscores that clothes don't determine character or creditworthiness. **The Advertisements:** These include tobacco, playing cards, and notably a Colt automatic pistol ad emphasizing "safety" through automatic grip mechanisms—somewhat darkly juxtaposed with the banking critique. The satire reflects Progressive Era skepticism toward financial institutions and their perceived indifference to ordinary people's struggles.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
On Banks and Banking I have observed that one’s reception a bank varics somewhat with the con- dition of the money market. Go in when money is easy and the president falls on your neck, calls you by your first name and cheerfully loans you large sums on your Balloon Common and your Smoke Preferred, and you go on your way rejoicing. The next day, news hav- ing arrived that a Gordon Highlander has strained a tendon in his leg while sprinting away from a Dutchman near Ladysmith, money goes up to 180 per cent. a minute, and you get a note re- questing you to remove your Balloon Common and your Smoke Preferred and substitute Government bonds therefor. And still you wonder at crime. But if you really want to know the meaning of the terms “marble heart” and “icy eye,” go into one of these re- frigerating plants for a loan when money is tight. It is prudent at such times to wear ear-muffs and red mittens fastened tegether by tape so they can’t be lost, for you will need ’em. As soon as you reach the outer air—which will be in about a second—run home and plunge the extremities in hot water and place a porous plaster on what remains of your self-esteem. Bankers are too prone to judge a man by his appearance, so that the very men who need moncy most have the hardest work to get it. They are apt, especially Sursrua’s ARCADIA MIXTURE In cach pound there are three to four hun. dred pipefuls—it costs $2.00 per pound— three-quarters of a cent a pipe. If you smoke five pipes a day it’s less than four cents—five hours of pleasure for four cents—certainly ARCADIA is cheap enough for you to smoke. Send 10 Cents (202 ice THE SURBRUG CO., 204 Broadway, New York “HAMMERLESS UTOMATICALLY SAFE LOOK FOR | THE AUTOMATIC | SAFETY IN THE GRIP It makes the COLT take care of itself in preventing accidental discharge. No thought or attention required by the shooter. SAVES WORRY! ASK YOUR DEALER TO SHOW You A COLT .25, .32 OR .380 AUTOMATIC PISTOL. The Automatic Grip Safety positively locks the action against firing until automatically com- pressed by the shooter.when he intends to pull the trigger. FORGET my) TO MAKE IT SAFE” This allows you to put a COLT in your pocket, hand-bag or other con- venient place LOADED AND COCKED—READY FOR IN- STANT USE without risk of accidental discharge. The a: SLIDE LOCK SAFETY can be thrown on if desired making the +4 COLT DOUBLY SAFE. This is an additional rather than an essential protective device. The COLT is always safe—it takes care of itself — and you. The COLT HAMMERLESS AUTOMATIC PISTOL has no working parts exposed —no hammer to catch in the pocket. The COLT SAFETIES indicate whether or not the pistol is cocked. Remember COLTS have proved their superiority over all others. Catalogue No. 6 mailed free. It's full of interest. COLT'’S PATENT FIRE ARMS MFG. Co. $LUD LINEN AND VELOUR PLAYING CARDS mand “rue patented, 1 ed, B, green. 25¢ per pack. Gold edge. 38c; Teslers every: eat postpaid on receipt of price. ‘Send for Catalog Accemorien. RADCLIFFE & CO.. 146 Peart 8, New York. HARTFORD, at the City Bank, to discriminate against the feller who looks rocky, in favor of the Rockefeller. Clothes do not make the man. If they did, Hetty Green wouldn't be where she is. But, after all, banks and trust compa- nies do a lot of good in a quiet way, especially to their directors. See what a convenience some of our trust compa- nies have been to their directors of late. It would sometimes be mortifying to these directors to have to attempt to borrow money on certain securities in 183 CONN. institutions with which they were not connected, because, instead of getting the money, they might get six months. I notice that the Secretary of the Treasury says that os per cent. of the bank failures are occasioned by the di- rectors borrowing all the funds and thoughtlessly neglecting to return the same. This is not as it should be. Di- rectors should be satisfied with attend- ing meetings and trying to look saga- cious at $10 per look, and not selfishly insist upon getting away with all the