Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-08-30

their excess profits in 1917 were from
to SO per cent, most of the large
breweries making an average profit of
42 to so per cent in 1916, and an ex-
cess profit of 10 per cent in 1917.
The distillers of whiskies and spir-
its made profits in 1916 that ranged
from 9 to S23 per cent, while their ex-
cess profits last year were from IL to
400 per cent.
Coal Men Pile Up Wealth.
The Pennsylvania and West Vir-
ginia soft coal mining companies made
enormous excess profits in 1917, ac-
cording to the report. The large com
panies all made profits in 1916 ranging
from 25 to $50 per cent.
In 1917 all of the large bituminous
operators, the report shows, made un-
usual profits. One mine made 1926
per cent on it's capital in 1916 and 4,337
per cent in 1917. Another made 1872
per cent in 1916 and 1898 per cent in
1917.
Profits of the midcontinent bitumi-
nous operators were smaller, averag-
ing so per cent.
The big oil producing companies of
Illinois, Indiana, New York, Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and
West Virginia made from % to 1896
per cent in 1916 and enormous excess
profits in 1917. The Texas, Oklahoma
and Kansas oil companies showed
similar profits for both years.
oe Ho
made gigantic profits in 1916, those for
the larger companies ranging from %
to rs per cent that year. They showed
excess profits in 1917 of from to 30
per cent.
Small dealers in flour and grain,
with capital stock Of from $1,000 to
$4,000, made excess profits that ranged
as high as 519 per cent.
The report also shows that the small
| dealers in furniture and other house
hold goods made enormous profits last
year, with excess profits as high as 350
per cent.
| Retail dealers in tobacco made enOr-
| nous profits off the smokers Of the
| country, the highest being 3,176 per
cent, and the average approximately
| so per cent in 1916. These profits
were doubled during 1917.
Auto Builders Wax Fat.
| Most of the automobile companies
hit high marks in earnings in 1916, but
they went still higher in 1917. The
largest listed, however, did not show
any extraordinary increase in profits
over those of 1916. One company witt
$31, ,OO0, 600 capital in 1916 earned SIT.
100000, then boosted its capital stocE
to $96,000,000 and then earned $23,
100000. A $19,000,000 concern whicl
earned S4,60S,000 in 1916 made S5,25S,
600 in 1917. A $160O0,oOO compan!
made S4,713,0GO in 1917, against 81,
100000 in 1916.
A tin plate mill with $49, ,000, 900 cap
ital made $54,000,000 net profit in 1917
against S19O0O,OO0 in 1916, or an in
crease of 72 per cent on its capita
stock.
Transportation, public utilities, ant
light and power companies, with yer,
few exceptions, Jared exceedingly wei
during 1916 and 1917. Their profit
in 1916 generally ranged from to s.
per cent on their capital stock, Will
they nearly all made excess profits il
1917 of from to 35 per cent. Profit
of the large public utilities companie
in 1916 and 1917 ranged from IL to =
per cent
Steam and electric railroads in 191
made from II to 207 per cent profits
while in 1917 they made profits il
excess of 1916 that ranged between 1
and 20 per cent, according to the re
port.
Marine, fire, and life insurance cor
Germs. enjoyed unusually large in
creases in profits. One compan
earned 493 per cent more on its car
ital stock in 1917 than in 1916. Al
other capitalized at 100000 increase
its income from S324,O0O in 1916 t
S3,77800O in 1917.
How Dry Goods Men Fared.
A list of 2,092 clothing and DIR
goods merchants. including departmen
stores, showed profits for 1917 in e1
cess Of those over 1916, as high a
191.43 per cent on the capital stool
The concerns making the enormou
profits, however, were the smalle
firms.
Retail grocers and provision broker
made their enormous war profits
in 1916, the report shows. The gro
GERS made only a small profit in 191
in excess of their 1916 profits. OF th
1888 concerns listed in the. repor
however, only a dozen show profits c
less than 20 per cent on their capits
stock in 1916, the year before the Uni
ed States entered the war, and tn
profits Of some concerns that yea
were as high as 1873 per cent. Mos
of the grocers, both large and sma
concerns, the report shows, made a'
erage profits in 1916 of from 80 to 20
per cent.