Life, 1919-03-27 · page 43 of 44
Life — March 27, 1919 — page 43: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page mixes editorial content with advertisements typical of early 20th-century Life magazine. **"The Budget Man" article** (left): Satirizes a specific type of middle-class figure—the obsessive record-keeper who meticulously tracks every household expense down to "teenths of a cent." The joke targets his joyless, bean-counting approach to family life, portraying budgeting as tyrannical rather than practical. It's social satire on American anxiety about financial management and the emerging "science of living." **W.L. Douglas shoe advertisement** (center): A major commercial section claiming shoes at $7–$8 offer equal quality to $10–$12 competitors. The ad emphasizes factory price-stamping as consumer protection against fraud and price-gouging—reflecting Progressive Era concerns about business transparency and fair pricing. **Pennsylvania lawn mower ad** and **"When Willie Took That Spoonful of Castor Oil"** (bottom): A brief humorous domestic scene about a child's reluctant medicine-taking. The page is primarily advertising-driven, with the satirical article as filler content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Budget Man ever met the t Man? ani Has s teeth, but remarkable he sn't cut it tt fix em; has a no: laundry bills are but six and teenths cents a week. years span the life of his , but doesn't— ssed and never cleaned dd neat on the last day . his coal, his the matter ks important, too, Each ay in the mother-in- tal out lovies ther, Vou've never met nd his goings. detailed accounts, in time: his expenditures, per week, per And pages are devoted to nily and T Lived ona Yearly In of Nine Hund Sixty-eight 1 Saved E © being formed everywhere to Thousand Man's science of living Join to. oney will never trouble you one ourselves. an explana s of yours,” ull seer ation that they ied Senal int I don't be expl: rept in my constituents Washington Ster. as explaining things to “In the first place,” she ould never have happened me had had sense enough to reqular, annual subscriber to p —— ty SYLVANTA QUALITY LAWN MOWERS 9u probably learned last summer t a cheap mower doesn’t pay uy your new one, let it sharpening, casy-runnin: LVA\ ine 3 3g THE SMART STYLES ARE THE LEADERS IN THE FASHION CENTERS OF AMERICA” | “THE SHOE THAT HOLDS ITS SHAPE” $4,00 $4:50 $500 $600 $700 & $8.00 IF you have been paying $10.00 to $12.00 for fine shoes, a trial will convince you that for style, comfort and service W. L, Douglas $7.00 and $8.00 shoes are equally as good and : will give excellent satisfaction. The actual value is determined Re and the retail price fixed at the factory before W. L. Douglas name and the retail priceis stamped on the bottom. The stamped Boys: | 77 | price is W. L. Douglas personal guarantee that the shoes are PA redid always worth the price paid for them. The retail prices are $333.5084 thesame everywhere. Theycostno more in San Francisco than they do in New York. Stamping the price on every pair of shoes as a protection against high prices and unreasonable profits is only one example of the constant endeavor of W. L. Douglas to protect his customers. The quality of W. L. Douglas product is guaranteed by more than 40 years experience in making fine shoes. The smart styles are the leaders in the fashion centers of America. They are made in a well-equipped factory at Brockton, Mass., by the highest paid, skilled shoemakers under the direction and supervision of experienced men, all working with an honest deter- mination to make the best shoes for the price that money can buy. CAUTION—Before you buy be sure W. L. Douglas name and the retail price is stamped on the bottom and the inside top facing. If the stamped price has been mutilated, BEWARE OF FRAUD. | Forsate by 106 W.1.Douglas stores and over 9000 W. L. Donglas dealers, Ha ca L,. President W. L. Donglas or can be ordered direct from factory by mail, Parcel Post charges pre- Shoe Co., 147 Spark St., paid. Brockton, Mass. TM I Write for Ilustrated Cataloz showing how to order by mall. WHEN WILLIE TOOK THAT SPOONFUL OP CASTOX OLL PETER J. CAREY, PRINTER comicbooks.com