Life, 1924-04-24 · page 8 of 36
Life — April 24, 1924 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece critiques workplace safety culture among different professions. A structural iron worker's wife warns her husband about dangerous skyscraper work, while he dismisses her concerns. The irony: he then lists other "dangerous" professions—cartoonists dealing with toxic materials, bookkeepers risking ink poisoning—that are comparatively trivial. The satire targets how people in any profession exaggerate their occupational risks. The wife suggests unionizing cartoonists to demand safety standards, satirizing labor organizing trends. The joke: cartoonists complaining about their "dangerous" jobs seem absurd compared to actual structural iron workers. The three-panel comic below shows cars on a mountain road, illustrating the lighter "dangers" of everyday life versus genuinely hazardous work.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
We & ROW Aa workin On 2 sky 43 aAargerouis, OurSe. We boys al) know t# LIFE Then, Gerald, You must Lo MORE Careful) about th Un pression You Give out about if One Craft Hurting Another By Don Herold structural iron worker's wife THe was kissing him good-hy as he left for his day's work any sky n't want you posing on top of crapers to-day talking to one of the boys ¢ how dangerous it is for pedestrians down on. the street among the automobiles, or comme on the chances that prizefi otherwise making light of sers of your own. profess said I know my work is dangerous,” replied. “Of course it's rous,” she sisted. “Darned dange “T's awful dar “LT know it. It’s terrible dangerous, he replied Tous,” expect you to be any day.” I'm scared every minute J'm up there. If it for the were not high Wages and the fact that we are try to put Bessie tl n Vassar, Md qu k in a minute safe job on terra firma But the somehow or other you the v and get a good fact rem: Gerald, that and your temporaries in the structural iron pro- fession have created the impression that you all feel that your jobs are safer This will than almost everybody else's job. impression, my instincts tell me, later find lowered wage scale in your trade.” “It’s darned dangerous work, Loui I know it. In fact, it’s And all the other fellows know it too. all nervous about it.” sooner or reflection in a precaric n is growing that Mrs. was saying she wished her husband had a good safe job on a skyscraper. He's per, She says bookkcepers rday, Scratch tantly in danger of ink infec- tion and paper poisoning and lung ble from eraser dust “Huh, bookkeeping p “Gerald, it is thé cart ists who are Ther thousand car last dangers tly. The ing you this injury were at least five year treating your cartoonists have got to quit treating the structural iron profession with a imsical touch.” “What can we do about it?” Why can't ne mect- “Gerald, I've an idea. you bring the matter up at ing of your local union to-night and draft a letter to Mr. Gompers and him influence the local cart at that k have ists’ union to cut I am sure those cartoor injure a si And if maybe we can get the steel compar to shut off their supply of pen poir That would stop their joking.” . sir, if it is necessary you can dear resort even to that. Good-by Don't slip to-day.” Perfection a /a Profiteer said Henry P. Blotz, the Pflom- “TELL me, sawdust king. to Oscar W witz, the mucilage magnate, “the name of the who de your It is. without question, the showiest thing I architect ned super-superb, palatial mansion have ever glimpsed in all my life. It Mars. It is BIG.” replied W., toying vith his diamond-studded toothpick. “I never had an architect. Certainly not I left it all in the hands of the moving- picture directe y reeks of ¢ uh!” Oscar ERY little bit helps. True; but only helps a little bit A NARROW MOUNTAIN ROAD HAS NO TERRORS FOR THE OWNER OF A LIGHT CAR comicbooks.com