Life, 1916-11-30 · page 16 of 42
Life — November 30, 1916 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains several satirical pieces: **"A Flat Refusal"** (top right cartoon): Shows officials aggressively converting a dubious case of infantile paralysis into an "official" diagnosis. The satire targets bureaucratic overreach—the implication being that government agencies inflate or manufacture official cases for statistical or funding purposes, prioritizing paperwork over genuine medical assessment. **"Light Verse"** by Christopher Morley playfully contrasts modern utility billing (gas measured in cubic feet, electricity in ohms) with romantic "illumination"—a woman's eyes. It's gentle, flirtatious humor. **The Wolf dialogue** is a one-liner about economic hardship: hard times mean even sheep's clothing (traditionally cheap material) is becoming expensive. **The contest announcement** is straightforward—*Life* solicits reader criticism for $500. **"The Method"** jokes about fashionable schools that claim to develop students' minds "without using it"—mocking pretentious educational institutions offering style over substance. The page reflects early 20th-century concerns: bureaucratic inefficiency, economic anxiety, and educational fraud.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“1 DON'T CARE IF 1 DO” Light Verse A night the gas lamps light our street, lectric bulbs our homes; The gas is billed in cubic feet, Electric light in ohms (?). But one illumination still Is brighter far and sweeter; not figured in a bill Nor measured by a meter. More bright than lights that money bu: More pleasing to discerners, The shining lamps of Helen's eyes, Those lovely double burners! Christopher Morley. IRST WOLF: Hard times, Srconn Wot: Yes, sheep’s cloth- ing is going up. “iL ARE A Contest in Criticism $500 Reward 'O the best criticism of Lire, com- prised in a letter or article not ex- ceeding two hundred and fifty words in length, and complying with the con- ditions of the contest, we will award a prize of five hundred dollars. The award will be made on the merit and entertaining quality of the cri cisms, whether favorable or otherwise. We shall print a number of the best of them if they seem worthy of that distinction, regardless of their severity. Here are the conditions. Please, please read them carefully and comply with them exactly, so that we won't have to throw your contri- bution out as being ineligible. CONDITIONS All contributions must be addressed to The Contest Editor of Lire, 17 West Thirty-first Street, New York City. The criticism must be clearly written or, better yet, typewritten on one side of the paper. The writer’s name and ad- dress should appear in one of the upper corners. Envelopes should contain absolutely nothing but the criticism and sender's name and address. If you have any- thing else to say to Lire, send it in a separate enclosure. Tt is not necessary to be a subscriber to Lire to enter the competiti i open to the world, but no competitor may send in more than one criticism. In case of ties the full amount of the A FLAT REFUSAL prize will be given to each tying con- testant. Contestants are advised to keep duplicate copies of Saauscripe sub- mitted, as no contributions will be re- turned. The Editors of Lire will be the sole judges of the comparative merit of the contributions, and in all matters their decision will be final. just the same, you needn't be afraid of hurting their feelings. All contesting criticisms must posit ly be in Lire Office not later than noon, December 26, and the award will be an- nounced in the issue of January 18. In other contests competitors have been barred out becausé they figured the time limit too closely and did not allow for delays in the mail. Send your contri- bution early so as to avoid this chance. The Method ILLIS: What kind of a school is your son attending? Gitis: Very fashionable—one of these institutions where you develop the mind without using it. Mme CONVERTING A DOUBTFUL CASE OF INFANTILE PARALYSIS INTO AN OFFICIAL ONE comicbooks.com