Life, 1915-08-26 · page 12 of 48
Life — August 26, 1915 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"The Railroads and the Parcel Post"** discusses a legal dispute: seven New England railroads sued the government for nearly eleven million dollars, claiming unfair competition from the Post Office's parcel post service. The author argues railroads deserve fair compensation for mail carriage and suggests the courts should protect government contracts fairly. **"Woman Suffrage"** presents a brief satirical statement: minorities of women and men oppose suffrage, but a majority of men support it—implying male support undermines the cause's legitimacy or reveals hypocrisy in the suffrage debate. **"Luck"** is a short story introduction defining luck as the mysterious force determining success or failure, personified as a woman who favors the industrious. The fashion illustration mocks contemporary styles blending summer and winter aesthetics.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
364 *LIFE: The Railroads and the Parcel Post WE have been hearing for several years that the Post Office Department was skinning the railroads, espe- cially since the starting of the parcel post and the installa- tion of Mr. Burleson, of Texas, as Postmaster-General. The parcel post is a great boon, and we all like it; but we ought not to have it at unfair cost to the railroads. They are as much entitled to fair pay for carrying our parcel-post packages as for anything else they do. But most of us have not known whether their cry of ill treat- ment was justified or not. There is a chance now that we may find out. The seven New England railroads have filed claims against the gov- ernment for nearly eleven million dollars because of under- payment for carrying the mails. Perhaps now the Court of Claims will tell us the rights of this government mail contract matter. It has been popular doctrine in Texas that nothing a State could get away from a corporation, espe- cially a railroad, was ill gotten, If Mr. Burleson has been applying this great principle in his administration of the Post Office we ought to know it. And if the con- trary is true we should know that. What are courts for if not to put us right in such matters? ORIGIN OF THE SHORT STORY Luck UCK is the main difference between failure and suc- cess, It rises like some mysterious fairy from the chaos of events and crowns its victors with an apparently hopeless ignorance of justice. Luck must be a woman; no man could be so fickle, so fantastic in a choice of favorites. Luck, however, has one great virtue. Although she will desert the gambler as suddenly as she came to him, she is likely to be faithful to those of her protégés who are the steadiest workers. She appears to be on the side of the biggest battalions. 4 BALLROOM — ULT WITH THE PRES- IDENT CONCERNING THE TARIFF, THE ARMY AND NAVY—— Doorkeeper: THE PRESIDENT CAN'T HELP YOU, GE: THE BOARD OF HEALTH HAS CHARGE OF ALL THOSE } Woman Suffrage MINORITY of women want it. 3 A majority of women don’t want it. “THIS, MY DEAR, IS THE LATEST FALL STYLE, A COMBINA- A minority of men don't want it. TION OF SUMMER AND WINTER STYLES, OR OF BEACH AND A majority of men are willing to have it. BALLROOM ” comicbooks.com