Life, 1920-07-29 · page 10 of 36
Life — July 29, 1920 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top cartoon**: An artist complains to tax collectors about owing taxes while claiming the government itself owes him money—apparently satirizing bureaucratic absurdity and unequal treatment between citizens and government. **"Strategy" section**: A humorous domestic scene where a father allows his daughter to choose which doll to play with, establishing her decision-making authority over household matters. **"Government Control" article**: Describes Post-Office Department takeover of private delivery systems, eliminating competition and raising costs through consolidation. The satirical anecdotes that follow—piano trucks breaking down, wrong parcels delivered, customers unable to reach services—mock the inefficiency and failures of government monopoly, suggesting private enterprise operated better. The page criticizes government's expanding control over commercial services as bungling and inferior.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Artist (figuring out income tax): 1 FIND WE DON'T HAVE TO FAY A CENT OF TAXES; THIS 1S WONDERFUL, DEAR, BY THE MOST CAREFUL PIGU ND WHAT'S MORE, THE GOVERNMENT OWES US THREE HUNDRED AND SEVEN DOLLARS AND THIRTEEN CENTS Strategy O all the dollies there was only one with which Ruby and I Both wanted it at once. you can be the nurse and I'll be the “Hand me the “This is your Thurs- ida cared to pla. said Ruby at last, “All right,” agreed Eda joyfully, . ” quickly commanded Ruby. afternoon off.” “T tell you, Eda. mamm “THE HOLD-CLOTHES MAN IS HOUTSIDE, SI “ALL RIGHT, JAMES; ASK HIM IP HE HAS ANYTHING THAT WILL FIT ME” “Government Control” OLLOWING announcement that the Post-Office Department had taken over all privately owned department-store and shop delivery systems and that they would henceforth be oper- ated as a unit under supervision of Postmaster-Gereral Burle- son, an official bulletin was issued, promising vastly improved service. All competition was eliminated, and the city was divided into delivery zones. All classes of delivery vehicles were absorbed into the common service, and a twenty-per-cent increase was added to the price of all purchases to defray m- creased expenses. The new system became operative at once, and A piano truck with driver and three helpers delivered a neck- lace from Biffany’s to Miss Bessie Bonbon of the Gaiety. A butcher’s cart hauled five hundred thousand dollars in securities from the Exchange Bank to the Associated National. A florist’s bicycle boy delivered a bathtub on a “trailer.” Tony’s frail fruit wagon broke down under the weight of a piano. A motor hearse delivered a layette at the X. Pectant home A moving van brought Mrs, O’Shaughnessy’s pound of corned beef. Ninety per cent. of the first day's customers telephoned that their orders remained undelivered. Nine per cent. used the wires to announce that they had re- ceived the wrong parcels. The newspapers carried front-page official announcements to the effect that the new system was working successfully.