Life, 1914-03-05 · page 17 of 60
Life — March 5, 1914 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1912 Life magazine page satirizes unemployment relief in California. The top cartoon mocks public discomfort with servant work—a woman exclaims "It's a fig-leaf!" (suggesting indecency), using the "Miranda" reference (likely from Shakespeare's *The Tempest*). The article critiques 3,500 unemployed Los Angeles residents registered at the Employment Bureau who refuse available domestic-service jobs, deeming such work beneath their "dignity as voters." The satire questions government's obligation to support citizens who won't accept available work, suggesting this will become a campaign issue for "Candidate Johnson" (likely Hiram Johnson, California's progressive governor). The bottom cartoon about grandmothers and the tango appears unrelated—typical magazine filler. The piece reflects Progressive Era debates about welfare, work ethic, and government responsibility during economic hardship.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HON! sort “WHY, LOOK, MIRANDA! 11's A FIG-LEAP” “su-n-n-sH!” Joyous Times in California PEPOPLE who have leisure and money might add con- siderably to their knowledge of the peculiarities of contemporary human life by spending a few months, just now, in California. It must be like a long revel at the sociological museum to be in California. For example, a dispatch in the papers from Los Angeles, dated February 2nd, says that in that city there are thirty-five hundred names of people out of work registered at the Municipal Employment Bureau, and the managers have discovered that though there are scores of domestic-service places open to applicants, none of the girls and women so registered will take them. They are discommoded, apparently, for lack of food, but not yet to the extent of being servants, which would, perhaps, be incompatible with the dignity of voters. What is the good of government if it won't support the voters? aware These unemployable California voters will want to know newness and Candidate Johnson will have to explain to them. DID OUR GRANDMOTHERS DANCE THE TANGO? comicbooks.com