Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1920-07-30

prevailed IN CIVILIAN purSultS-WorK
that had little or no connection with
the war. Because of the absence of
the four and half million, the serv-
ices of clerks, statesmen, auditors,
editors, insurance men, hotel clerks,
walters, porters, chauffeurs and ex-
ecutives were at a premium. They
ramed their own price and got it.
There is no quarrel with the man
who worked. He sold his services in
the open market and got what the
buyer thought they were worth or
knew he had 10 pay. The man who
bought labor was not the loser, for
he resold it in the form of canton
ments, munitions, military supplies
and domestic products, at a ripe
profit
Corporations that manufactured
materials not directly destined for
the military forces also did very
nicely, thank you, during the two
years the soldier and sailor fought
How frequently you have heard
the groan that high wages were the
cause of high prices and that the
manufacturer and jobber could not
make decent profit because of cost
of operation and taxes? The Even
ing World, New York, has pub
lished series of highly Illuminating
articles in which the excessive prof
it's of big corporations are disclosed.
Remember that great many of these
people are numbered among the
active opponents of compensation to
former service men and women.
These figures are interesting enough
for reproduction here
Che large leather company had
gross sales in 1915, of $68,917,939.
In 1917, when production was
smaller, the value of gross sales
mounted to $91,731, 64S, an increase
of over 33 per cent. In 1915 the
operating expenses of this company
were 80 per cent of gross business.
In 1917, in war times, operating eX-
penses were only "A per cent. In
1914, this corporation paid a two
per cent dividend on it's common
stock. In 1917 nine per cent divi-
dend was paid on the common stock.
A large corporation that manufac-
lures shoes, with a 20-acre plant and
SO acres of floor space, turns out
10000 pairs of shoes daily In
1915, it showed a gross profit of S.3
per cent; in 1916, 1915 per cent; in
1917, 1915 per cent; in 1919, 1916
per cent.
While we are on the subject of
shoes, consider a leather company
which in 1915 earned "A cents on
each share of common stock, in 1917,
$7.41 for each share; in 1918,
$12.83 per share, and in 1919,
$15.S2 per share.
Also let us consider another shoe
company. In 1915, this company
earned $40 for each share OIL COM
mon stock; in 1916, 5000; in 1917,
$23.66; in 1918, $1823, and in 1919,
$2O.46.
That takes care of shoes. You
can see one reason why they cost so
much. When it comes to collars and
shirts, you get the same answer.
One collar manufacturing company
showed 81 per cent net profits on
total business done in 1917. In
1918, this profit rose to 1873 per
cent. A shirt company's rate of divi-
dend in 1915 was SO; in 1919, 81.
When it comes to smoking ma
terials, consider one of the large
cigar companies which in 1917 saved
out of each dollar of business 1859
per cent, and in 1919 $3.50 per cent.
Cocoa drinkers and chocolate fiends
will be interested to know that a
concern that controls most of this
business earned $2.S4 per share in
1916 and $31 in 1919. Quite de-
cent increase.
BY such standards, the soldier,
sailor and marine were greatly UNI
derpaid. When the extreme hazard
of his duties is considered, the dis
parity of emolument is even more
striking
These are cold-blooded arguments.
Whoever denies that the former
service man deserves extra compen-
sation is cold-blooded opponent.
There is no point in telling the cold
blooded of the dangers and discom-
forts service men underwent. No
good to mention to him the extreme
unpleasantness of being shelled; the
days and nights in mud and cold and