Life, 1912-05-23 · page 19 of 44
Life — May 23, 1912 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical cartoon critiques the monopolistic power of express delivery companies. The caption reveals the joke: a woman leads "a terribly fast life," but the punchline reveals her father manufactures taxicab registers—suggesting her "fast life" is inherited wealth from a businessman profiting from transportation. The accompanying text argues that express companies have achieved monopolistic control over package transportation, fixing rates and earning enormous dividends. They've become so wealthy and influential that they own railroad and bank stock, enabling them to block regulatory efforts through financial pressure. The cartoon's broader point: these companies are so entrenched and powerful that they can influence government policy (specifically Post-Office Committee decisions about parcels post reform) to protect their lucrative monopoly, preventing more affordable shipping alternatives from displacing them.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“SHE INHERITS IT, panies have had a monopoly in the transportation of pack- ages. They have practically been able to fix the rates. They have made so much money that gradually they have become stockholders in the railroads and banks; so that any attempt to curtail their profits or restrict their activities they are able themselves to meet in the most effective manner possible-—namely, by the use of moncy. They have paid the largest dividends on record. HER FATHER 1S A MANUFACTURER OF TAXICAB REGISTERS.” They have charged double, and in some cases treble, the price charged for the same service in other countries. When, therefore, the Post-Office Committee informs us that the supplanting of the express companies in whole or in part with a parcels post system, in which the rates of carriage will be only a fraction of what the express com- panies now charge, will not mean advantages so great as we fondly hope—we wonder if they have been informed by the express companies in advance that there is going comicbooks.com