Life, 1918-02-14 · page 3 of 40
Life — February 14, 1918 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **vintage advertisement**, not political satire. The page promotes Miller Uniform Tires, manufactured by The Miller Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio. The ad's humor relies on a **workplace efficiency angle** popular in 1920s-30s advertising. A cheerful factory worker displays five cars, illustrating Miller's slogan: "Only Enough For One Motorist In Fifty"—meaning their tires are so superior that one person could theoretically use five cars before needing new tires. The text emphasizes **standardization and quality control**: "Uniform Tires (99% Excellent) Built By Uniform Men (96% Efficient)." This appeals to contemporary values celebrating industrial precision and worker reliability. The "Geared-to-the-Road" tire design is highlighted as a technical advantage. This reflects **pre-Depression American optimism** about manufacturing prowess.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
* LIFE: | ows “Only Enough For One Motorist ~ Uniform Tires (99% Excellent) :}| Built By Uniform Men (96% Efficient) a | ANY manufacturers build good tires. But And more than 99 per cent of their tires exceed each producer’s problem is to build all of his the warranted mileage. A tires as good as his best one. Even tires built side by side, often vary thou- Geared-to-the-Road Miller Tires are Geared-to-the- Road. sands of miles. Were it not for this, certain great brands would equal the Miller. Look how the ratchet-like tread takes hold of For Miller has succeeded in building tires the the ground. This keeps the wheels from spinning same. Nota few—not certain “lucky tires.” But when you start—it gives positive traction while 99 Millers in 100. you are going. Less than 1 per cent ever need R | adjustment. How Uniformity Came 5 Va Tires are mostly handwork. So J er they are bound to vary about as the q workmen do. To build them uniform | we had to make workmen uniform | | first. Mark how— | We learned to keep books on every | Ure built, and on the man who built it. We brought in experts on scientific manage- ment. And the master tire builders were used to train the rest. Many withstood this new order of efficiency, | and are building Miller Tires yet. Those who fell All roads are safer for the car that runs on Millers. Authorized Dealers Only Uniform Tires can't be produced in great quantities. They require more time to build—and few men can be trained to such perfection. This year, we'll produce enough for only one motorist in fifty. Better speak to the authorized Miller dealer at once for your supply. Miller Cord Tires are the fine, big fellows with the extra large air-capacity. There is nothing more luxuri- ous, yet they cost less per mile than the regulation type. THE MILLER RUBBER COMPANY Akron, Ohio Makers of Miller Red and Gray Inner Tubes— The Team-Mates of Uniform Tires below the mark had to go elsewhere. _ So today, this body of Miller Men is known as Tiredom’s crack regiment. ‘Their efficiency aver- ks | ages 96 per cent. comicbooks.com_