The Twin City star., 1918-08-24

= . ns o n
The proAts Of the brewers ranged
from Is to 175 per cent in 1915, and
their excess profits in 191T were from
5 to 80 per cent, most Of the large
breweries making an average profit of
AZ to 30 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 II 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, &C.
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 1,62e
per cent on its capital in 1916 and 4,337
per cent in 1917. Another made 1872
per cent in 1915 and 5.9S3 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 39t
per cent in 1915 and enormous excess
profits in 1917. The Texas, Oklahoma
and Kansas oil companies showed
similar profits for both years.
All of the garment manufacturers
made gigantic profits in 1916, those for
the larger companies ranging from 25
to IS per cent that year. They showed
excess profits in 1917 Of from to 81
per cent. ~
Small dealers in -four and grain
with capital stock Of from $1,000 to
$4,000, 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 as 35C
per cent.
Retail dealers in tobacco made enor
nous profits off the smokers of the
country, the highest being 3,176 pei
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-f816. One company with
$31 100000 capital in 1916 earned ST.,
100000, then boosted its capital stock
to $96OO0,OO0 and then earned $23,
100000. A $19,0OO,0OO concern which
earned $46Os,OOO in 1916 made S5,25S,
GOO in 1917. A $18,OO0,0O0 company
made $4,713,OOO in 1917, against $4,
100000 in 1916.
A tin plate mill with $49,0O0,OOO cap
ital made $54,O0O,OO0 net profit in 1917
against $19,OOO,OOO 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 profits
in 1916 generally ranged from 6 to 81
per cent on their capital stock, while
they nearly all made excess profits ir
1917 of from to 35 per cent. Profits
Of the large public utilities companies
in 1916 and 1917 ranged from II to q
per cent.
Steam and electric railroads in 191(
made from II to POT per cent profits
while in 1917 they made profits ir
excess of 1916 that ranged between Il
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 $324,0OO in 1915 tc
$3,77S,O in 1917.
How Dry Goods Men Fared.
A list of 2,O92 clothing and dry
goods merchants, including department
stores, showed profits for 1917 in ex
cess Of those over 1915, as high as
1913 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 dozen show profits OF
less than 20 per cent on their capital
stock in 1916, the year before the Unit
ed States entered the war, and the
profits Of some concerns that year
were as high as 1913 per cent. Most
Of the grOcers, both large and small
concerns, the report shows, made av
erage profits in 1916 Of from so to 2O(
per cent.