Life, 1914-09-03 · page 33 of 48
Life — September 3, 1914 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a corporate advertisement, not satire or political commentary. Kelly-Springfield Tire Co. uses *Life* magazine to announce that while other rubber companies are raising prices due to WWI-driven crude rubber shortages in Europe, they will instead pass savings to customers. The company claims the price increase is temporary and caused by the war's disruption of commerce. They justify maintaining supplies by noting their high-quality output requires properly seasoned raw materials. The announcement includes branch office locations across the U.S. and affiliated dealers. There is no cartoon or satirical content visible—this is straightforward corporate messaging presenting the company as ethically superior to competitors exploiting market conditions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NNOUNCEMENT has been made of a large increase in the price of their product by various rubber companies. In this connection we wish to state that the Kelly- Springfield Tire Co. will not take advantage of the situation, but will give the benefit of it to their customers. It is our opinion that the sharp advance in crude rubber is due to an unnatural condition caused by the war in Europe, and that in a relatively short time the commerce of the United States will be in full swing, and crude rubber will return to its normal price. The Kelly-Springfield Tire Co., as is well known, has a limited output of the very highest grade products, which necessitates having a large supply of raw material on hand in order that it may be properly seasoned. We believe that you will appreciate our action in the matter, and our fairness at all times to the public. Kelly-Springfield Tire Co. 229 West 57th Street, New York Branch offices in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia Boston, St. Louis, Detroit, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Seattle, Atlanta, Akron, O. The Hearn Tire & Rubber Co., Columbus, Ohio Atkinson Tire & Supply Co., Jacksonville, Fla. Bering Tire & Rubber Co., Houston, Texas Central Rubber & Supply Co., Indianapolis, Ind Boss Rubber Co., Denver, Colorado Springs and C. D. Franke & Co., Charleston, S. C. Pueblo K. & S. Auto Tire Co., Limited, Toronto, The Olmsted Co., Inc., Syracuse, N. Y. Can. South'n Hdwe, & Woodstock Co. Ltd., New Or- Todd Rubber Co., New Ha Jeans, La. Rarnard & Michael, Buffal L. J. Barth, Rochester, N. Y. Seifert & Baine, Newark,