Life, 1917-03-15 · page 11 of 42
Life — March 15, 1917 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main illustration depicts a street scene where a woman and child approach an elegantly dressed couple. The caption quotes the child asking why paper costs five cents when "the Regular price is only a penny," and notes the president "got some spunk, after all." This appears to reference **price inflation during wartime or economic crisis**—likely WWI era, given Life's publication period. The "Regular" price suggests price controls or standard rates, while the inflated "five cents" reflects market manipulation. The child's innocent question highlights how ordinary citizens notice price gouging, while the adults' fashionable dress suggests wealthy merchants profiting from scarcity. The satire mocks both commercial greed and apparent government action ("got some spunk") to address it, though ineffectively.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“WHY IS THE PAPER FIVE CENTS TO-DAY, BOY? PENNY.” AIN'T IT WORTH FOUR CE GOT SOME SPUNK, AFTER ALL? The Principles of Big Business IRST SURGEON: Do you think one thousand dollars is too much to charge for taking out Bulger’s appen- dix? Srconp don't you wait? RGEON: No. But why He's making money THE REGULAR PRICE IS ONLY A EXTRA, LADY, TO READ THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS. so fast that you can get five thousand dollars out of him in six months. TRUE friendship is not easily broken; but when broken, like most fine and delicate things, it is hardly to be repaired at all. Memories REMEMBER, I remember Those pleasant sugar pills Our family doctor fed to me For all my childhood ills. His air was most encouragin, He had a healthy smell; I loved his simple medicines Which made me strong and well. I remember, I remember That when my child took sick, We sent for seven specialists To come and see him quick. Their bills combined were large enough To make a Croesus wince. The child, I much regret to state, Has not been healthy since. K. L. Roberts. Down with the Other Fellow! UR friends the “Regular” Physi- cians confess their inability to cure infant paraly Meanwhile the Os- teopaths seem to be curing about 80 per cent. of their cases. This has led to the belief among evil-minded per- sons that the ular" Physicians are more interested in their own repu- tations than in victims of the disease. We refuse to believe it. But how they do hate an Osteopath! Might Take Mr. Beck HE papers narrate that Mr. Her- bert C. Hoover's labors for Bel- n relief have been so heartily appre- ciated in England that advances have been made to him to become a British subject, and perhaps a peer. But he is not so disposed, for which we may be thankful, since he figures large in such credit account as Uncle Sam has in England. But Mr. es M. Beck is remark- ably faithful to the Allied cause and very, very dissatisfied with Uncle Sam, and if the good British would care to make a lord of him, why, perhaps we might negotiate. Conflicting Duties NDER our present system of mili tary enlargement two great details of service to the country are at odds. Enlistment and getting married don't go well together. comicbooks.com