Life, 1918-01-10 · page 3 of 40
Life — January 10, 1918 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **vintage tire advertisement**, not political satire. It's a 1920s-era ad for Miller Uniform Tires by The Miller Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio. The illustration shows a factory worker in an apron pointing at a tire, with the quote "If Ever One Comes Back—I Am Penalized." This reflects the ad's central claim: Miller tires are built with such consistent quality ("96% Perfect") that workers face penalties if defective tires are returned. The ad emphasizes **standardized manufacturing** and quality control as selling points—revolutionary concepts for the era. The "Crack Squads" reference appears to mean skilled production teams. The marketing targets motorists frustrated by tire variability, promising uniform mileage and reliability. This is commercial advertising, not political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘Tf Fver One Comes Back- 1 Am Penalized” Miller Announces Uniform Tires Built By Crack Squads (96% Perfect) Now we present the world’s first Uniform Tires. Not uniform only in looks—all tires are that. What we announce is uniform mileage. And this in tires already famous for wear. Please read— OTORISTS today must choose between approximately M 429 brands of tires. Even tires made side by side differ in mileage enormously. If you get a “lucky tire” it may run between 5,000 and 10,000 miles, The next may fail under 1000. Not so with Miller Tires, Once they varied as the rest ables.” fully recruited, Each must meet For tires are mostly hand work. They differ as the men who build them differ—and exacting standards. Then science keeps books on every man’s work. He is marked on every tire that he builds. But more than that, he is penalized if ever one comes back. always must, Tires 99% Thus we've created a body of master tire-builders—called the crack regiment of the whole tire army. ‘Their average personal do. Today less than one per cent ever call for adjustment. Excellent efficiency is 96 per cent. Miller has triumphed by ridding these tires of “human vari- Miller tire builders are care- The tires they build—99 in 100—wear practically uniform under ‘like conditions, Tens of thousands of records furnish conclusive proof, Tires so uniform can never be produced where quantity output rules, Picked men are limited. And if you multiply workmen, you multiply variables. Hence we can supply only one dealer in each neighbor- hood. And only about one motorist in fifty can get Millers. These are the only tires actually geared -to-the-road. Note the ratchet-like tread — how the cogs engage the ground at each turn, That gives positive traction; itkeepsthe wheels fromslipping. Give Them This Test Next time you buy tires go to the nearest Miller dealer. Put a pair of Miller team-mates on opposite wheels. Then both will experience like wear. After that test of Miller uniformity youl never trust to luck. THE MILLER RUBBER COMPANY, Akron, Ohio Mokers of Miller Red and Gray Inner Tubes—The Team Mates of Uniform Tires a comicbooks.com