Life, 1914-06-18 · page 14 of 44
Life — June 18, 1914 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"The House That Jack Built"** (left) is a cumulative poem satirizing predatory lending and mortgage practices. It repeatedly describes how Jack labors to pay the "People's Security and Loan and Mortgage Company," which charges him ten times the original debt through interest. The satire builds to show how taxes, interest, and contractor negligence leave Jack perpetually impoverished—enslaved to debt despite owning his home. **"The Price of a Necessity"** (right) discusses magazine pricing, likely responding to publisher complaints about pricing strategy. The dialogue between Willie and Carshaw about "Who's Who" suggests debate over what constitutes fair value. The bottom cartoon shows three female figures (unclear identification) captioned "WHICH?" by Ben Deacon, likely satirizing fashion or feminine aesthetics, though context is insufficient for precise interpretation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1106 The House That Jack Built THs is the house that Jack built. This is the thousand that, like a slave, for years Jack toiled and scrimped to save; the thousand that at length he gave to pay for the house that Jack built. This is the People’s Security and Loan and Mortgage Company, which took the thousand that, like a slave, for years Jack toiled and scrimped to save; the thousand that at length he gave to pay for the house that Jack built. This is the contract that made Jack say at forty per month, with interest, he'd pay back to the People’s Security and Loan and Mortgage Company ten times the thousand that, like a slave, for years he toiled and scrimped to save; the thousand that at length he gave to pay for the house that Jack built. This is the builder who didn’t care for anything but to grab his share out of the contract that made Jack say at forty per month, with interest, he'd pay back to the Peo- ple’s Security and Loan and Mortgage Company ten times the thousand that, like a slave, for years he toiled and scrimped to save; the thousand that at length he gave to pay for the house that Jack built. And this is the roof that began to leak, and the broken walls that made Jack seek the blood of the builder who didn't care for anything but to grab his share out of the contract that made Jack say at forty per month, with interest, he’d pay back to the People’s Security and Loan and Mortgage Company ten times the thousand that, like a slave, for years he toiled and scrimped to save; the thou- sand that at length he gave to pay for the house that Jack built. And here are the taxes and interest high, which kept Jack so poor he let the sky peep through the roof that began to leak and the broken walls that made Jack seek the blood of the builder who didn’t care for anything but to grab his share out of the contract that made Jack say at forty per month, with interest, he’d pay back to the People’s Security and Loan and Mortgage Company ten times the thousand that, like a slave, for years he toiled and scrimped to save; the thousand that at length he gave to pay for the house that Jack built. And this is the sheriff who came one morn and sold up the house, so frayed and forlorn, and carted Jack’s furniture all away, and also garnisheed his pay to meet the taxes and interest high, which kept Jack so poor he let the sky peep through the roof that began to leak and the broken walls that made Jack seek the blood of the builder who didn’t care for anything but to grab his share out of the contract that made Jack say at forty per month, with interest, he'd pay back to the People’s Security and Loan and Mortgage Company ten times the thousand that, like a slave, for years he'd toiled and scrimped to save; the thousand that at length he gave to pay for the house that Jack built. Ben Deacon, TE ESE * The Price of a Necessity “If Live ever issues a real twenty-five-cent number, they will ask about one dollar for it.” —Publisher and Retailer. VEN then it would not be so high, brother. In pro- portion to the price of some of the other things you are paying for, we are shocked to think that you should place such a low estimate upon our powers. We have not been in business all these years for nothing. In our opinion, one dollar for a twenty-five-cent number of Lire would be dirt cheap. If you are supplying the public with a necessity, you can charge almost anything you like, provided you have a corner on the product. That is about our position, Of course, we don’t believe in rubbing it in. For example, we think that possibly two dollars for a twenty-five-cent number of Lire might be too high. We believe that eventually the public will stand for it, but not just now, when the administration is trying so hard to readjust things. You sce, brother, we have philanthropic feelings as well as you. It is a great mistake for any monopolist to charge as much as he can get. That is where we pride ourselves upon our perspicacity. If we ever do get out a twenty-five- cent number, we shall probably charge about one dollar and fifty cents for it. Or possibly one dollar and seventy-five cents, ILLIE: What kind of a book is “Who's Who”, dad? CraBsHAw: us as we see ourselves. It's a work, my boy, in which others see WHICH? comicbooks.com