Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1918-08-22
cess profits last year were from u TO
400 per cent.
Coal Men Pile Up Wealth.

cess profits last year were from II Il
400 per cent.
Coal Men Pile Up Wealth.
The Pennsylvania and West Viz
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 % to $50 per cent.
In 1917 all OF the large bituminous
operators, the report shows. made IN
usual profits One mine made 1.626
per cent on its capital In 1916 and 4,337
| 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 80 per cent.
The big oil producing companies of
Illinois. Indiana. New York, Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and
West Virginia made from % to 1906
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 IS per cent that year. They showed
excess profits In 1917 of from to 50
per cent.
Small dealers in -four and grain,
with capital stock of from 81 900 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 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 |
80 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 profits
over those of 1916. One company with
So 900, 900 capital in 1916 earned $11,-
100000, then boosted its capital stock
% $96,OOO,000 and then earned $685.
100000. A $19,O00,0O0 concern which
earned $4,6OS,0OO in 1916 made $5,258,-
100 in 1917. A $16,00O,0O0 company
made $4,71300O in 1917, against $4,- ,
09, 600 in 1916.
A tin plate mill with $49,00O,0O0 cap
tai made $54,000,OO0 net profit in 1917, +.
gaHnst $19O00,O00 in 1916, or an in
rease of 70 per cent on Its capital
took.
Transportation, public utilities, and
ght and power companies, with very :
ew exceptions, Jared exceedingly well
uring 1916 and 1917. Their profits
4 1916 generally ranged from to so
err cent on their capital stock, while
hey nearly all made excess proMeHn
OF of from to 35 per cent. PEIdts
the large public utilities - cInies
, 1916 and 1e Nsrgedshessee oi.sag
: + c1n+ - sas~' v--l,ps. =
ef cent HT
Steam and electric railroads iApa916
ade from II to POT per cent profits,
lille in 1917 they made profits in o.
Icess of 1916 that ranged between Is v
Id 20 per cent, according to the re- in
,rt. Of
Marine, fire, and life insurance con- fc
rms enjoyed unusually large in W
eases in profits. One company NJ
rned 493 per cent more on it's cap
II stock in 1917 than in 1916. An D.
her capitalized at 100000 increased re
income from $324000 in 1915 to hi
,77S,O00 in 1917. ia
How Dry Goods Men Fared. Sc
A list of 2O92 clothing and dry ~
DDS merchants, including department :.
,res, showed profits for 1917 in ex- -
IS of those over 1916, as high as o.
| 43 per cent on the capital stock -
e concerns making the enormous
ofits, however, were the smaller -
ms.
Retail grocers and provision brokers ~,
de their enormous war profits" -
1915, the report shows. The gro -;
s made only a small profit in 1917 -;
excess of their 1916 profits. OF the y"
33 concerns listed in the report, -
yever, only dozen show profits of
S than 20 per cent on their capital -,
ok in 1916, the year before the Unit -
States entered the war and the 'ou'
fits of some concerns that year ~
re as high as 1913 per cent Most nv
the grocors both large and small w
Germs, the report shows, made av- ~ ~,
g. profits in 1916 of from so to 200 az,
cent. -
4 20