The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-08-22
cess profits last year were from 10 to
400 per cent.
Coal Men Pile Up Wealth.

The pennsylvania and west Nir-
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 bituminous
operators, the report shows, made un-
usual profits. One mine made 1,626
per cent on its capital in 1916 and 4 1897
per cent in 1917. Another made 1,S72
per cent In 1916 and 1888 per cent in
1917.
Profits of the midcontincnt bitumi-
nous operators were smaller, averaS-
ing so per cent.
The big oil producing companies of
Illinois, Indiana, New York, Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and
West Virginia made from 2S to 1876
per cent In 1916 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 %
to 75 per cent that year They showed
excess profits in 1917 of from 5 to 30
per cent.
Small dealers in flour and grain,
with capital stock of from $1,000 to
SS,O00 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 500
per cent.
Retail dealers in tobacco made enor-
nous profits of the smokers OF the
country, the highest being 3,lI6 per
cent, and the average approximately
SO per cent in 1915. 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 prohts
over those of 1915. One company with
S31 100000 capital in 1916 earned Sl','
OOO, 900, then boosted its capital stock
to $4,000 600 and then earned S23,-
100000. A S19.OO0.OO0 concern which
earned S4,6OS, 600 in 1916 made S5,2oS,-
600 in 1917. A $16,OOO,0OO company
made S4113,OOO In 1917, against S4,-
10000 In 1916.
A tin plate mill with $49,0OO,OOO cap
itnl made 54,OOO,OOO net profit in 1917,
against S19,OOO,OOO in 1916, or an in
crease of - per cent on Its capital
stock.
Transportation, public utilities. and
light and power companies with very
few exceptions, Jared exceedingly we'll
during 1915 and 1917. Their profits
in 1915 generally ranged from 6 to 50
| per cent on their capital stock. while
| they nearly all made excess profits In
1917 OF from to 30 per cent. Profits
of the large public utilities companies
| in 1915 and 1917 ranged from IL to %
| per cent.
Steam and electric railroads In 1916
| made from II to 2O7 per cent profits.
while In 1917 they made profits in
excess Of 1916 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 1915. An
other capitalized at $1,000 increased
Its income from $324.OOO in 1915 to
$3,77S,OOO in 1917.
How Dry Good Men Fared.
A list of 2,O92 clothing and dry
goods merchants, including department
stores, showed profits for 1917 In eN-
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 1915. the report shows. The gro
GERS made only 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 90 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 ms high ms 1.s13 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.