Life, 1918-04-11 · page 3 of 44
Life — April 11, 1918 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **vintage advertisement**, not satirical content. It's a Miller Rubber Company ad for "Miller Uniform Mileage Tires," published in *Life* magazine. The ad features a smiling workman holding a large tire, with the caption "Only one man in 25 makes good in the Miller Plant." The marketing strategy emphasizes **quality control through worker selection and training**—Miller claims success comes from hiring and training "champion tire builders" rather than relying on machinery. The ad positions Miller tires as superior through **uniform craftsmanship**: each tire is presented as a "masterpiece" because each builder is rated and held to 96% efficiency standards. The tagline "Geared-to-the-Road" emphasizes reliability. This reflects **early-20th-century manufacturing philosophy**: the belief that handwork and individual worker excellence—not just industrial processes—determined product quality. The competitive claim that "99 Millers in 100 outrun standard guarantees" reflects aggressive marketing common to that era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Only one man in 25 makes good in the Miller Plant’’ By Creating Uniform Builders We Created Uniform Tires Each Man a Master—Each Tire a Masterpiece ILLER TIRES are known far and wide today as the Uniform Mileage Tires. That means wherever Millers are run under like conditions, they wear the same. That 99 Millers in 100 outrun standard guarantees. Of all the some 429 brands on the market, there is no other we know to equal this, How Miller Succeeded Such uniformity has been the aim of tire makers for years. For who could tell, when he bought a tire, whether it would run 5000 miles or fail at a thou- 2 sand? f er; Miller found the solution—not in machines or methods—but in men, We discovered that workmen Must be uniform or their tires (mostly handwork) can never be. By training a regiment of champion tire builders we re- duced the variables in tires to a fraction. If you want the utmost air capacity—size for size—ask for Miller Cord Tires. Each Man Rated Our efficiency experts keep a record of every man and every tire he builds. To pass our inspectors it must reach our 99 per cent grade. If ever a Miller comes back, the builder’s score is penalized. Under this rigid system, only one man in 25 makes good. But those who do average 96 per cent efficient. Geared-to-the-Road There is no excuse longer for buying tires on luck. Miller means certainty. And safety, too,due to the . tread that is geared-to-the-road. > Mark how the sharp rubber q res cogs "A Lin the ground. A Limited Number Only about one motorist in 50 4 GEARED: STO-THE-ROAD = will be able to get the Miller Uni- form Tires this year. It takes time to train men to Miller perfection. ever become masters. To make sure of securing your season’s supply, you must speak to the Miller dealer at once. They are Few can truly luxurious—yet not a luxury, because they cost less per mile than any other type. THE MILLER RUBBER COMPANY, Akron, Ohio Makers of Miller Red and Gray Inner Tubes—The Team-Mates of Uniform Tires comicbooks.com