Life — January 21, 1915 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Efficiency and Rum" - Life Magazine, Page 96 This satirical piece critiques the tension between industrial efficiency and alcohol prohibition. The text describes "Cobb," a factory manager who embodies mechanical efficiency but argues that national prohibition will harm business because alcohol and industrial machinery are incompatible—efficiency demands alcohol be eliminated. The illustration shows two caricatured men at a tree with a small demon/imp figure above. The caption reads "Well, to make a long story short—" suggesting these characters are debating prohibition. The satire mocks prohibition advocates by presenting the absurd argument that efficiency itself demands alcohol's removal, while simultaneously attacking those who prioritize industrial productivity over moral concerns. The piece appears to question whether purely mechanical "efficiency" should govern public policy.