Life, 1916-04-06 · page 76 of 80
Life — April 6, 1916 — page 76: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising**, not political satire. It contains four distinct advertisements: 1. **Pears' Soap** (left): A luxury soap brand emphasizing purity and use in prestigious institutions (hotels, banks, steamships, hospitals). The appeal targets quality-conscious consumers willing to pay moderate prices. 2. **"What Business Is"** (center): A humorous essay satirizing corporate jargon and circular logic. It mocks how businessmen use the phrase "business is business" as an unassailable argument, then deconstructs it through absurdist reasoning (syllogisms, geometry) to show the phrase is logically meaningless—a gentle jab at pretentious business rhetoric. 3. **Pennsylvania Quality Lawn Mowers** (right): Emphasizes durability and superior steel construction for suburban homeowners. 4. **Francis Scott Key book** (bottom right): Promotes a biography of the national anthem's author. The page reflects early 20th-century consumer culture targeting middle and upper-class readers. No political figures or specific events are referenced; the satire is purely about business-speak pretension.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PEE is Pears’ Soap used exclusive- ly in so many leading Hotels — Banks — Clubs Vy, —Steamship Lines and Hospitals through- out the world ;—Why is Pears’ Soap the inevitable choice when- ever the purchaser insists upon high quality at a moderate price? “[jOCAUSC ~ Pears is recognized by the most critical as the very finest soap that it is possible to produce at any price—absolutely pure —thoroughly cleansing—par- ticularly fine for sensitive skin in any climate. Its unusual lasting quality and low price make Pears most eco- nomical for daily use. We want you to know Pears, for to know this delightful soap is to use it—take advantage of our spe- cial offer now. Pears’ Glycerine Soap at 20c. Pears’ Perfumed No. 1 Tablet at 30c. Pears’ Otto of Rose at 75¢c. A. & F. PEARS, Ltd. The largest manufactur high grade toitet Kean in rid. generous trial cake of Pears’ bessenccd will be sent post. paid on receipt of 4c (stamps) to cover, postage—address Wal- ter Janvier, U.S. Agent, (ser Canal Street, New York, U.S.A What Business Is HANKS to the indefatigable plati- tudinarians, it is now pretty well established that business is business. If, therefore, you should go to your banker to try to borrow a large amount of money and, in the course of his refusal, he should remark that business is business, let it go at that. Don’t start an argument, because he will be sure to get the best of you. From almost any angle you approach the matter it can be proved that busi- ness is business. Geometrically, for instance, it can be shown that business is business, for if it were not business, then it would not be business, which is absurd. Then again, we can not only reduce the matter to an absurdity, but we can reduce it to a syllogism, thus: Major premise—Not-business is not- business, Minor premise—Business is not not- business. Conclusion—Therefore, business is business, Anyone having the patience, moti- vated by the proper amount of scepti cism, may continue on and reach the same result through the channels of biology, ethnology, terminology, an- thropology, apology, teleology and the like, but for the most of us this is quite unnecessary. We are willing to admit without a struggle that busi ness is certainly business. Q. E. D. PREPAREDNESS Quality LAWN MOWERS G" a good mower this year— | and you'll have a good mower for many | years. If a‘“* PENNSYL- VANIA” Quality Mower, it will stay sharp and smooth-cutting a dozen years before you even have to sharpen it, and will last a gener- ation. “PENNSYLVANIAS”™ are the only Mowers with all blades of crucible tool steel, oil-hardened and water-tempered as in all kinds of cutting tools. This exclusive feature explains why “PENN- SYLVANIA™ Paalty lades hold their keen- culting edge and are sell-sharpening, remaining, without regrinding, in the first-class cutting condi« tion that means a soon. well-kept lawn. Equally light running and easy drawing, any of te PENNSYLVANIR® Quality’ Brands will be found at your hardware or seedsman. “Shock Absorber” “Gn WRITE FOR FREE BOOKLET “Scetifig Lawn Making” by an ath, ‘SUPPLEE-BIDDLE HARDWARE CO. Box 1588 Philadelphia Francis Scott Key | Author of THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER | What Else He Was and Who For Sale by~ | By F. S. KeySmith, Esq. | Army and Navy Register Box 1521 Washington, DC | PRICE, $1.00, Postpaid comicbooks.com