The Benson signal., 1918-08-24


cess profit of 10 per cent in 1917.
The diStillerS of whiskies and spir-
it's made profits in 1916 that ranged
from to 1913 per cent, while their ex->
cess profits last year were from 70 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 1,626
per cent on it's capital in 1916 and 1897
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 2S to 396
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 20
to Is per cen, :l,at year. They showed
excess profits Ia 1917 Of from 3 to so
per cent.
:, Small dealers in -four and grain,
with capital stock Of from $1,000 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
wear, with excess profits as high as 800
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 pro1tS
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 with
$31 100000 capital in 1916 earned ST.
100000, then boosted its capital stock
to $96,OOO,OOO and then earned $23,-
100000. A $19OOO,OOO concern which
earned $46OS,OOO in 1915 made $5,25S,-
600 in 1917. A $16,O00,0O0 company
made $4,713,0OO in 1917, against $4,-
10000 in 1916.
A tin plate mill with $40 100000 cap
ital made $54,OOO,OOO net profit in 1917.
against $19,OOO,OO0 in 1916, or an in
crease of y per cent on its capital
stock.
Transportation, public utilities and
light and power companies. with very
few exceptions, Jared exceedingly well
during 1916 and 1917. Their profits
in 1916 generally ranged from 6 to 50
per cent on their capital stock, while
they nearly all made excess profits in
1917 of from 3 to 35 per cent. Profits
Of the large public utilities companies
in 1916 and 1917 ranged from II to 25
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 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
it's income from $324,OOO in 1915 to
$3,778,OOO 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 1916, 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 small profit in 1917
in excess of their 1916 profits. OF the
1858 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 1913 per cent. Most
Of the grocers, both large and small
concerns, the report shows. made av
erage profits in 1916 of from 80 to 200
per cent.