Gilpin observer. (Central City, Colo.) 1897-1921, 1918-08-22

from to SOB per cent. while their eX-
cess profits last year were from u 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 - to $50 per cent.
In 1917 all of the large bitumlnous
operators, the report shows, made I'M
usual profits. One mine made 1925
per cent on its capital in 1915 and 4.3S7
per cent in 1917. Another made 1872
per cent In 1916 and 1888 per cent in
1917.
Profits of the midcontinent bitumi
nous operators were smaller. averag
Ing 50 per cent.
The big oil producing companies Of
Illinois, Indiana, New York, Pennsyl-
vana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and
West Virginia made from 2S to 396
per cent in 1916 and enormous excess
profits in 1917. The Texas, Oklahoma
and Kansas oil companies showed
All of the garment manufacturers
made gigantic profits in 1915. those for
the larger companies ranging from %
to rs per cent that year. They showed
excess profits in 1917 of from 5 to So
per cent.
Small dealers in flour and grain,
with capital stock of from 81 900 to
$1,000, made excess profits that ranged
as high as $40 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 MS $50
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
80 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 1915. One company with
$31, 100000 capital in 1915 earned ST.
600, 900, then boosted its capital stock
to S96,OOOOOO and then earned S23,-
100000. A $19,OOO,OOO concern which
earned S4,6OS,OOO in 1916 made $5,25S,-
600 in 1917. A $18,OOO,OOO company
made $4713,OOO in 1917, against $4,-
100000 in 1915.
A tin plate mill with $40 600, 900 cap
ital made $54,OOO,OOO net profit in 1917,
against S19,OOOOOO in 1916, or an in
crease of II per cent on its capital
stock.
Transportation, public utilities, and
light and power companies. with very
few exceptions, Jared exceedingly well
during 1915 and 1917. Their profits
in 1915 generally ranged from 8 to 80
per cent on their capital stock. while
they nearly all made excess prOfits in
1917 of from 8 to IS per cent. Profits
of the large public utilities companies
in 1915 and 1917 ranged from IL to rs
per cent.
Steam and electric railroads in 1915
made from II to POT per cent profits.
while In 1917 they made profits in
excess Of 1915 that ranged between 10
and 20 per cent, according to the re-
port.
Marine, fire, and life insurance con-
Germs enjoyed unusually large In
creases in profits. One company
earned 493 per cent more on its cap
ital stock in 1917 than In 1916. An
other capitalized at 100000 increased
its income from 1924, 900 in 1915 to
$3.77S,0 900 in 1917.
How Dry Goods Men Jared.
A list Of 1902 clothing and dry
goods merchants, including department
stores. showed profits for 1917 in ex-
cess Of those over 1916, as high as
191. 43 per cent on the capital stock.
The concerns making the enormous
profits, however. were the smaller
firms.
Retail grOcers and provision brokers
made their enormous war profits"
in 1916. the report shows. The gro
GERS made only a small profit In 1917
in excess Of their 1916 profits. OF the
/ 1888 concerns listed In the report,
however, only a dozen show profits of
less than 20 per cent on their capital
stock In 1915. the year before the Unit
ed States entered the war, and the
profits Of some concerns that year
were as high as 1873 per cent. Most
Of the grocers, both large and small
concerns, the report shows. made av-
erage profits In 1916 Of from so to 200
per cent.
potatoea German Stvle