Life, 1912-04-25 · page 17 of 44
Life — April 25, 1912 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes express companies' practice of collecting shipping fees at both delivery AND origin—a lucrative double-billing scheme. The illustration shows a figure chasing a balloon labeled with a grinning face, representing the express companies' pursuit of profit through this questionable practice. The accompanying article, titled "The Art of Collection," mocks the express industry's resistance to the new Parcels Post (a cheaper government shipping service). The writer sarcastically praises express companies' "artistic" billing method and criticizes Postmaster General Hitchcock's defense of allowing time before implementing reforms, suggesting he's giving the companies opportunity to continue exploiting customers. The satire targets corporate greed and regulatory capture—the express companies' ability to profit from customers' inattention while resisting reform that would lower shipping costs.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Art of Collection A RECENT newspaper report stated that one of the express com- nies made a profit of over $60,000 in ne month from packages that, through ‘or, had heen paid for at both ends. Imost everybody has experienced the hagrin of prepaying express charges to learn that these a ted at the destina- tion. Probably only about one person in ten has taken the trouble to get the money back from the express com- pany. The wonder is that only FOLLOWING THE BALLOON $60,000 profit was collected in one month. The first expressman who discovered that he could collect at both ends without being thrown into jail (or even receiving a protest from the shipper) ought to be put on the same plane with the man who first ate an oyster. He one of the unrecorded heroes of his- tory. Tt seems a pity that the parcels post idea, With its blatant economy, should obtrude itself upon our express com: panies and, possibly, interfere with this great work. To pay three times as much for transporting a packs is worth, and then to have this same amount collected by the trusting friend at the other. end to whom you have consigned your gift—all this is the highest kind of art. Why should it be interfered with? Mr. Hitchcock is right. He says it will take some time to demonstrate a parcels post, probably feeling that if the matter is allowed to rest we will soon forget all about it, and thus the express companies will be enabled to continue upon their highly artistic careers. comicbooks.com