Life, 1916-06-29 · page 34 of 41
Life — June 29, 1916 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page mixes **advertisements with social commentary**. The main satire targets **labor exploitation in sweatshops**. The "Lo and Behold!" section uses a question-and-answer format to expose the contradiction between labor laws and their enforcement. It describes a sweatshop with locked doors—illegal, yet inspectors supposedly assigned to prevent it do nothing because they're "too busy on ward politics." The implied critique: **government corruption and negligence allow dangerous working conditions to persist**, resulting in preventable deaths from fires. The other major content is **product advertising** (Havone cigarette cases, Allen's Foot-Ease powder, Herbert Tareyton cigarettes), which was typical for Life magazine. A brief mention of "Why Not Draft Mr. Claflin?" discusses a wealthy businessman's financial downfall, suggesting his business experience might benefit public service—likely reflecting WWI-era debates about resource allocation. The satire's power lies in its **deadpan exposure of systemic indifference to worker safety**.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
% Pound50' HAVONE OUR Army man, your Navy man, values the Havone Case because it keeps his cigarettes in well ordered ranks, white, clean, unmussed and unfumbled, all the time. There are no “casualties” among cigarettes carried in the HAVON. —every one standing at ’tention and ready for action. The Havone Case springs open at a touch [ALLENS “FOOT-EASE| The Antiseptic Powder to ke Into Your Shoes and use in the Foot-Bath. Makes tight Gitting or new shocs feel easy, Over 100.000 packages are being used by the German and Allied troops at the front, Nothing rests the feet so quickly and thor- oughly, It takes the friction from the Shoe, the sting out of Corns and Bunions and makes walking a delight. We have over | 30,000 testimonials. Try it TO-DAY, Sold everywhere, 2Sc. Don't accept any substitute, FREE fry" ALLEN 8. OLM “ont What Rest and th Retin Herbert areyton London Cigarettes Herbert Tareyton London Smoking Mixture Sample upon request Falk Tobacco Co, 58 West 45¥St New’ Newtork. on the little cap, and it is as easily filled ordinary case. The cigarettes are held so lightly that one may be taken with the lips your hands are soiled. Havone Cigarettes Cases are made in heavy Silver-plate, in Solid Sterling and 14 K Gold. The silver-plated cases at $5 are especially popular. If your dealer hasn’t stocked up on the HAVONE, send us $5 and we will mail you one direct—either plain finished, or with mon- gram spot, or one of the all-over patterns. At any rate, send us your name ona post-card for one of our handsome catalogues. HAVONE CORPORATION 21-23 Maiden Lane Dept.c, New York Why Not Draft Mr. Claflin? R. JOHN CLAFLIN disclosed the other day that he was almost en- tirely relieved of pecuniary possessions. He had been a millionaire for many years, but the collapse of his great dry- goods business, a disaster connected with the movement of department stores from Sixth Avenue, left him with business debts which he has de- voted his private fortune to reduce. Mr. Claflin is a very able and much respected man. Now that he is fully quit of the money devil and relieved of all prejudices which large means in- spire, is it not possible that his admin- istrative talents and large experience of business can be employed some- wiiere to the public profit in the public RE you easily discouraged? Over- come the defect. Don't lose your courage if the newsdealer tells you, when you ask for Lire, that he’s “all sold out.” Give him ten cents and tell him to send it to you. You'll get it very quickly, Then tell him to have it for you every week. Lo and Behold! S E the Sweatshop. The Sweatshop is crowded with girls who work for low wages in order that their employers may make large profits. Are all the doors of the Sweatshop locked? Yes, all the doors of the Sweatshop are locked. Why do they lock the doors? To prevent some girl slave from stcal- ing a few minutes’ breathing spell. Is it legal for the doors to be locked? Oh, no, it is not legal at all! On the contrary, there are public inspectors who are paid to do nothing else but see that the doors are unlocked and to arrest em- ployers who violate this regulation. It would seem, therefore, that the in- spectors are not assiduous in the per- formance of this duty Oh, no, they are too busy on ward pol- itics and other important matters. But suppose there were a fire, would not many of the girls be killed and jured? Yes, indeed. That is a regular occur Th rence. be u What happens then? not : Then there is a hue and ery among the schod newspapers for a day or two and a great to be stirring around among the legal author- ments ities as if some adequate punishment is no were to be meted out to the law-breakers. city And is that the end of it? eidate ot entirely. The end is lost in ; aze of legal technicalities which employers’ lawyers weave. And does nothing happen to the pro prietors of the Sweatshop? Not unless they get hold of a severe judge. Then they are liable to be fined a few dollars for every employee's life that was lost. If you want to give your boy an ideal vacation, just send him toa Summer Camp. He'll come back to school in the Fall stronger in body, with the health of the big outdoors in his red blood, and he'll learn a lot of things that mere books cannot teach him. The announcements of the best camps can be found in Scribner's Magazine. It detailed information is desired, address SCRIBNER’'S MAGAZINE SCHOOL AND COLLEGE SERVICE DEPARTMENT Scribner Building, Fifth Avenue Room 726 - - New York comicbooks.com