Life, 1927-10-13 · page 4 of 44
Life — October 13, 1927 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a satirical cartoon about a municipal paving contractor who attempts to build a ship. The seven-point narrative describes cascading failures: he forgets engines, tears down the first attempt to save money (using glue instead of rivets), replaces skilled workers with relatives, omits funnels and other equipment, fails to grease the ways, and ultimately launches a ship that immediately sinks. The satire critiques incompetence, nepotism, and corner-cutting in construction and municipal contracting—common targets of Progressive-era criticism. The joke's premise is that someone completely unqualified for shipbuilding undertakes the task anyway, with predictable disaster. The caption quotes suggest the humor relies on physical comedy and the absurdity of the situation. The accompanying Pinehurst golf resort advertisement is unrelated content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Municipal Paving Contractor Builds a Ship 1 HE completes the job at enor * mous expense and six months b hind schedule. The ship is ready to be launched when he discovers that he has forgotten to install the en gines. 2. He tears down tne original ship and starts building another- which collapses during construction because, to save money, he is using glue instead of rivets. 8. He discharges all his com- petent employ replaces them with his wife's relatives and starts over again. The ship is ready to bi launched when he discovers that he has left no place for funnels. 4. Finally, he gets the ship equipped with funnels, a rudder, a keel and several other little things which he had forgotten....He launches the ship. . Ship goes down the ways—and fast because he has forgotten ase the ways. 6. Ship ultimately reaches water. It turns over and sinks without a trace. 7. The builder gets a Govern- ment contract for a hundred ships. Robert Lord. ONIOVU ~ ONLLOOHS ~ AUAHOUV ~ SINNAL ~ ONIGIU cottage in Pine- hurst, N. C., the Golfer’s Paradise~ Carolina Hotel opens October 31st for 29th season of outdoor sports and social gayety ~ Commute South this "winter _to health, goodfellow- ship and_ bracing climate~ Leave N. Y. 6:40 p. m., only 44 hrs. on thru Pullmans ~ ‘write forillustrated book- let, address General Office, Pinehurst— Pinehurst ORTM CAROLINA FOUR FAMOUS DONALD J. ROSS 18-HOLE COURSES “They make pretty good cars nowadays, don't they? You hardly ever see one hung up on the road untess it is having tire trouble.” “And very seldom then, if the car is on Kelly-S pring fields.” \ a @__SPORT CENTER LIFE: Published Weekly by Life Pub. Co., $08 Madison Ave. N.Y. N. Y. Subscription, $5.00, Vol. 90,,No. 2345." Oc. 13, 1027.” Eat'd as dad Class Matter, June 8, 188, at New York Post OfSce, uader act of March 3, 1879, Printed in U.S.A. Est'd as 20d Class Matter at the Post Ofice Dept, Canada. Copyright 1927, Life Pub, Co,, in U. 8. England and British Possessions Vv 7 comicbooks.com