Life, 1920-01-22 · page 26 of 36
Life — January 22, 1920 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes **post-WWI American profiteering and inflation**. The "Ballade of the Profiteers" poem mocks widespread price-gouging across all sectors—milk at 20 cents a quart, coal, rent, food—while asking the rhetorical question: if *everyone* is a profiteer, what's the point? The satire suggests corruption is so universal that morality has collapsed. The reference to "If Robin Hood Were Alive To-Day" frames profiteers as modern thieves exploiting ordinary citizens. The photograph shows a crowd scrambling for jobs ("Men Wanted $2 a Day"), capturing the economic chaos and desperation of the era. "Our Flag" ironically locates patriotic symbols not on flagpoles but on mundane working-class items—a lunch counter sign, a factory worker's stockings, a butcher's wagon. This deflates nationalism, suggesting true patriotism exists only among struggling workers. "The New Intoxicant" jokes darkly about wood alcohol poisonings, referencing Prohibition-era deaths when people drank toxic substitutes after alcohol was banned. The final exchange mocks intellectuals: a writer's work "lives for thousands of years"—as jokes, not serious literature.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Ballade of the Profiteers OW milk is twenty cents a quart (We must discharge our cat, I fear) : The price of eggs of any sort, Or meats, affords us little cheer The cost of every kind of gear Is wildly heavenward carecring ; If everyone's a profiteer, Then what's the use of profiteering * The coal bill left me sadly short; The landlord raised our rent this year And what the farmer won't extort The middleman will commandcer Next comes the railway engincer These others’ winnings closely shearing If everyone's a profiteer, Then what's the use of profiteeri When everybody's chosen sport rates—with brow severe What sinner dares to come to court To press that charge against his IF ROBIN HOOD WERE ALIVE TO-DAY Whose hands are clean, whose con science clear? Who has the right to ask If everyone's a profiteer, Then what's the use of profiteeri a hearing ? Envo Aghast, I view a prospect drear Of universal bunko-steering. If everyone’s a profiteer, Then what's the tse of profiteering? Our Flag (Where I Have Seen I) [¥ the “ Olympia Lunch” playing com panion piece to the pearl-studded Pic ond Milk sign above the counter Waving briskly from a little ¢ collar. On Jennie Sklut’s sleazy silk stock- Jennie works in the tobacco fac- ola and ings. tery (where they have av’ THIS TIME MAY 00 dancing at noon, and Saturday noons off) On the and stoop-shouldered draftsma the Paper Machine Company In the whip-hold of the butcher's wagon. On Tony Dragonettes’ belt buckle, when he is all dressed up on Saturday night in his peg-topped trousers leopard-skin cap. Coming accordion-pleated out of the end of a trick cigar On the sherbet at the dance. From our other Jack “ Came Home.” Under the feet of the Reds Civic Club upstairs window The New Intoxicant HE people of the civilized nat have by long practice and at cor siderable cost acquire Ac gree of immunity to the old-iast a certain alcoholic stimulants. Is it on the cards that the peopl: the United Stat require immunity to wood alcohol The first cost of the mentation seems almost prohibitive. \ must now go on a new expert: policeman said, accounting to a down yurt judge in New Yo ty of cases of drunken town police- for the se urt the morning after They don't come here, They go directly to the ness in his ¢ New Year's: your honor morgue.” A Matter of History OST: Scribbler says if you can judge of the future by the past, hts work will live Parker: L Scribbler write? Post: Jokes. fs bas woman's party wire.” r thousands of years Us see. Just what docs -LO! Is this a party wire?” My dear sir, it’s worse. It’s comicbooks.com