Life, 1914-11-05 · page 41 of 48
Life — November 5, 1914 — page 41: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main content is a satirical editorial titled "Complications" attacking the Rockefeller Foundation's announcement that it will study labor-capital relations. **The Satire:** Life mocks the Foundation's claim to address this "complicated" problem by arguing the issue is actually *simple*—rooted in "rapacity and cunning" versus "stupidity and ignorance." The magazine suggests that the Foundation, led by John D. Rockefeller (the wealthy industrialist), ironically caused many labor problems through his own business practices, yet now claims to study and "solve" them. The satire implies the Foundation will only add complexity and obscure the real issue: that capital exploits labor. **Context:** This reflects early 20th-century skepticism about philanthropic institutions masking capitalist exploitation. The piece suggests wealthy industrialists use foundations to appear concerned while fundamentally avoiding accountability for labor conditions they created. The rest of the page contains period advertisements for glassware, sugar wafers, and biscuits.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Clear and Sparkling as crystal-pure water is the lovely water set shown below. It isn’t an ornament that you'll use for a time and then discard—it’s a_ practical “water jug and tumbler” set. Moreover, it has that simple. crystal-like freshness and pur- ity of design and delightful brilliance that stamps Heisey’s 4 Glassware as “right for every occasion.” Your dealer If you especi shown here and your dealer ¢l not have it, we will deliver it direct to you by Parcel, Pos i the following price dozen tumblers, $2. i dozen tumblers, $2. West of the Mississippi River add $1.50 to cover delivery. Write today for “Table Glass and How to Use It.” See how other beautiful things for the tabl and home you can buy in Heise Diamond H Glassware. A. H. HEISEY & Co. Deat. C2, Newark, O. NABISCO Sugar Wafers —entrancing sweets which are always and everywhere popular. Wafer confec- tions centered with deli- cately flavored cream. The perfect accompani- ment for every dessert. In ten-cent tins; also in twenty-five-cent tins, ANOLA —a new conception in chocolate-flavored sweets. Exquisite wafers of crisped baking with choc- olate-flavored cream nestling between. Anola has achieved a new delight which only taste can tell— a flavor which gives immediate pleasure, In ten-cent tins. Complications HE Rockefeller Foundation, in making its formal announcement that it will devote its activities to find- ing out what the trouble is between labor and capital, rather prides itself on this decision in “deliberately attempting to grapple with what it believes to be the most complicated and at the same time the most urgent question of modern times.” The Foundation then goes on to state that “the literature on the subject and the tried experience of the world is so vast as to be overwhelming. What the Foundation now proposes to do, therefore, is to add to the liter- BISCUIT COM PANY ature and make the question more complicated. And who has made it complicated? We fancy Mr. John D. Rockefeller has done his share. The real truth, however, about this question is that it is not actually com- plicated at all. It is quite simple. All the money in the world spent in in- vestigating it will not change it. It is due at bottom to rapacity and cunning on the one hand against stu- pidity and ignorance on the other, When the Rockefeller Foundation can reduce the spirit of greed in capital, and raise the spirit of intelli- gence in labor, then the right miracle will occur. comicbooks.com