Life, 1915-04-01 · page 68 of 72
Life — April 1, 1915 — page 68: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains primarily **advertisements and humor**, not political cartoons. The main content is an **essay criticizing organized charities**, arguing that professionalized charity has made ordinary people less personally responsible for helping others. The author suggests we've outsourced morality to "experts" who view suffering with "professional unconcern," freeing the rest of us to remain "blithe and optimistic." The **humor section** ("One or the Other") is an Irish immigrant joke featuring "Pat," a stereotypical character speaking in exaggerated brogue. The punchline plays on the phrase "broke"—Pat broke the Sabbath (religious law) or went broke (financially)—suggesting poverty forces difficult moral choices. The page is dominated by **advertising**: Oldsmobile's Model 42 car, Dunlap & Co. hats, and other products typical of 1910s-era *Life* magazine content. The automobile ad ironically quotes a salesman claiming the car "looks" expensive despite being affordable—commentary on marketing over substance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LIFE™ In Defense of Organized Charities IVILIZATION took a great forward jump when organized charities were discov- ered. Before that charity was a virtue which all of us were supposed to keep in stock. Everyhody felt it more or less incumbent upon him to be his brother's keeper, As our brother's keeper, we often had to stir around and help our brother out of difficulties, But when organized charities came to relieve us of such burdens, we were able to eliminate this virtue from our repertory. We no longer feel it necessary to take any interest in our fellow-man, to know about the ways to relieve it. All this is now turned over to chari nisery of others and the best experts, who soon come to look upon misery with professional unconcern, leaving the rest of us free to go our blithe and optimistic way. ZZE 3332223222333 3224333322223 We asked an automobile salesman for his opinion of Model 42. “I believe,” he said, “that Model 42 looks from $300 to $400 better than any other car in its class,—without taking into consider. ation at all wcchénical superiorities.”” An Accurate Copy of our Big Six—a $2975 Car ‘ODEL 42 lists at $1285, yet compares favorably with $2,000 and $3,000 cars,—is an accurate image of the Big Six Oldsmobile. Ic is light in weight, with five-passenger body and four cylinder valve-in-head motor, and does its work at small cost. Total weight 2500 pounds. Average fuel consump- tion 18 to 22 miles per gallon. Economical of oil. Easy on tires—most owners get considerably over the guaran- teed mileage. Every reader of Life may have the illustrated story of this car. Kindly specify Booklet 54. Established 1880 Incorporated 1899 OLDS MOTOR WORKS LANSING MICHIGAN, ¥ A x q ‘ : NESEEEE SEE EEE REECE EEE CEET ES EECETES EEETEFECETETE : : — = ot REG. US PAT. OFFICE (CELEBRATED HATS ’ i : * % + H Spring, styles § now on sale } (178-180 FithAve # 7 181 Broadway 4 ¢ NEW YORK | CHICAGO ; I PHILADELPHIA ' Agencies in All Principal Cities Fe ee a de Dee ee ee ee ee ee ee aS POPPE EEE EE EE ETH One or the Other “Yis, sor, wur-rk is scarce,” said Pat, “but Oi got a job lasht Sunday brought me foive dollars.” “What?” said Mr. Goodman, much shocked ¥ broke the Sabbath?” “Well, s returned Pat apologeti cally, “it wuz me or the Sabbath, Waa of us had to be broke.” —Ladies’ Home Journal. SOCIETY COLUMNS comilcbooks, _— follo done Age Mon 6 B 15 8