Life, 1914-09-10 · page 19 of 48
Life — September 10, 1914 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a scathing satirical cartoon attacking child labor practices and factory exploitation. The page presents absurd "inventions" and "efficiency suggestions" for exploiting child workers more thoroughly. The central oval illustration shows a factory interior with children laboring at machinery. Surrounding panels mock proposed "improvements": a device allowing children to see parents via photograph while working (no break time); an automatic feeder to eliminate meal breaks; a weight-reduction system; and a "reviver" machine to keep exhausted workers conscious. The text mockingly attributes these ideas to factory owners seeking "efficiency" while using cynical justifications—the Satan quote ("idle hands"), pseudo-moral uplift via "conservatory" art on walls, and "transparency" (literal visibility through workers). The satire's power lies in its grotesque literalism: these absurd proposals expose the actual logic of industrial child exploitation—viewing children purely as productive units whose human needs represent inefficient losses.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PATENT PHOTOGRAPH RACK CABLING UTE MORKERS TO ‘SEE THUR PARENTS BY BAYLIGHT; THD TCS TO MVELARIZE ‘THEM WIM THOR PROGENTORS AND POPIRES INDUSTRY AUTOMATE FEEDER AND FOOD CHUTE. SAVES WEAR ‘AND TEAR OF GOING TO AND FROM MEALS. THUS CONSUMING), THE DELICATE ORGAN'SHD OF THE WORKERS, ‘BOX FOR DIMBESHING WEIGHT. BY THE USE OF, TiS DEVICE ANY EMPLOYE CAM BE REDUCED AND WIS, TRANSPARENCY BNEREASED 30 THAT HE OOBOT SHUT CFF ‘THE DUAT OF THE WINCOWS FRO OTHER HAPPY HELPERS COMBINATION GINGER MACKINE., EXQHILARATOR, REVIVER RESUSCITATOR AUTOMATIC TIMING DEVICE. PREVENTS WOOLESALE ROBBERY OF EMPLOYERS Tht fr Taney YOUTNTUL WAGE EARNERS RESEXT CONFINEMENT 4 HOT SEHD RCO EES CONS/DL RATION WOWLVER FRAST BE SHOWN BY HAVING THE FACTORY WEAR S005 DLORDUR THAT THER RLFIUNG INFLUENCES MAY BE TERMINGLED WITH THE .. OURMOTTO \ SATAN ALWAYS FED SOME WORK FOR IDLE HANDS TO 00" Wananen Caay ! J fs BYP SutROND THE LITTLE WORKERS WITH MATURES WONDERS BE EVER READY TOAID THE Oat TD GAIN THE PUNDAPENTALS TH TROOUTION OFA CONSERVATORY Wet EAN EXPENSIVE OF EDLCATION. RANT OF CU BUREMOLENT a BRL ae a TI ves DeNOVATIOR BCULCATES OFTHE YOUTHFUL MIND THE BEAUTI, ROPING PILCLOPHEAL SATIS ON TH WALLS OF THEIR WORKROONS. LOTR hn CATE POL DAT THE PLEASANT WIG CF Te MACKIE, UPLIFTING THOUGHT THAT MATURE NEVER SLEEPS Ciadove Tatra tD PEACLTIA UNGER MeO SWEETEST BRCAP SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR STILL GREATER EFFICIENCY 1N CHILD LABOR