Life, 1919-01-23 · page 3 of 42
Life — January 23, 1919 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **primarily an advertisement**, not satirical content. It's a Miller Rubber Company tire ad from Life magazine, promoting Miller brand tires to long-distance truck drivers and commercial users. The illustration shows a factory worker inspecting tires against an industrial backdrop with warehouses and stacked tires. The ad's main claim is that Miller tires offer "uniform" quality—each tire wears identically to others, preventing the problem of "second bests" (inferior tires mixed with quality ones). The marketing argument emphasizes consistent manufacturing standards and workmanship as Miller's competitive advantage. There is no political satire here; it's straightforward commercial advertising typical of early-to-mid 20th century trade publications, appealing to fleet managers concerned with tire reliability and uniformity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Lam penalized if ever one comes bock”’ Uniform Tires Mean No “Second Bests” Long-Distance Millers Not Only Look, But Wear Alike Wi do not claim that no tires equal the Miller. Other makers build some tires as good. But how can the buyer tell those “lucky” casings from thou- sands of lesser ones that look identical ? The greatest problem a manufacturer faces is how to build all his tires like his best ones. This we have solved. And the reason each Miller wears like its brother is much discussed. Here are the facts: Uniform Workmanship Any maker who pays the price can get the same super-quality of raw materials. Also the same machinery, for machines are standard, too. But uniform mileage is governed by uniform workmanship and must be as long as tires con- tain handwork. If the workmanship varies, the mileage is bound to vary. That's why we took a mark that was set by champions and trained other tire builders to this single standard. Each builder signs every tire he makes. If ever one comes back his score is penalized. This method, tested now three years, has proved to be the mileage solution. THE MILLER RUBBER COMPANY, Akron, Ohio Makers of Miller Red and Gray Inner Tubes— the Team-Mates of Uniform Tires (222) Always a Shortage The result is a new class of long-distance tires —tires that wear the same under like conditions. Not occasionally some that give exceptional service, but more than 99 in 100, It takes much time to train uniform builders. Hence to make the best tires we had to for- sake all thought of making the most. So to get these remarkable long-distance Millers—the buoyant Cord or the sturdy fabric type—be sure to go to the authorized Miller dealer or write for his name. To Dealers in Open Territory: Write for Attractive Proposition GEARED-TO-THE ROA UNIFORM MILEAGE Milter |