Life — September 10, 1914 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of This Life Magazine Page This page critiques the treatment of the "middleman"—likely referring to merchants or grocers during wartime rationing. The header "Not This Year" suggests a plea against profiteering or hoarding during what appears to be WWI. The top illustration shows a hunter aiming at a flying creature (possibly representing the middleman being hunted), while a sailor manages a boat—imagery suggesting conflict over commerce. The main text defends the middleman as "kind and benevolent," acknowledging his wartime struggles. It warns against public shaming, jailing, or violence toward grocers and merchants, even if prices seem unfair. The photograph titled "Keeping a Good Man Down" appears to show someone in difficulty, reinforcing the argument that middlemen deserve sympathy rather than persecution during economic hardship.