Life, 1914-02-19 · page 7 of 40
Life — February 19, 1914 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece, attributed to James R. Wells, mocks the pretensions of civil service bureaucrats. The top section presents an ironic "examination" asking whether an appointed official will regard themselves as a lord of the universe, refuse to answer outsiders' questions, and scorn efficiency—all rhetorical jabs at bureaucratic arrogance and unaccountability. The illustration below depicts a doctor's office scene labeled "Honest," showing a patient complaining of dyspepsia while the doctor offers mutual sympathy rather than a cure. This cartoon satirizes incompetence and deflection—the doctor cannot help but sympathizes with the patient's complaint, mirroring how civil servants might acknowledge problems while doing nothing to solve them. The overall message critiques government inefficiency and self-serving bureaucracy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A “Civil” Service Examination (“Yes to all these questions passes.) F appointed, will you regard yourself henceforth as a Will you learn all the varieties of calm insolence extant, Lord of the Universe, and all non-official beings as and try to devise new ones? worms of the dust? Will you regard yourself as a privileged being in the Will you refuse superciliously to answer any question matter of hours of work and methods of work, disdain- put to you by an “ outsider” ? fully scorning any change in the interest of efficiency? Will you consider any request for information a deadly Will your heart motto be, “ The public be damned” ? insult? Amos R. Wells. HONEST “ou! pocror, CAN’T YOU GIVE ME SOMETHING TO CURE MY DYSPEPSIA?” “MY DEAR MADAM, I WISH I COULD. I'D CURE MINE, 700,” comicbooks.com