New Britain herald., 1927-12-14
PROFITS OF Al ITONOBtIE
 NNNIf'tCTiRIRS

l- LII ''H al v ttL l1t++t'A '7i'N '' 'i'r7 N'' net profits Of all American auto mobile manufacturers since 1909, with the exception of the year 1927, which are not yet compiled.
 We have gone to the trouble Of adding them up OH the office adding machine and obtain the impressive total of S2,91A,94Tooo.
 We are willing 10 believe that MT Ford got nearly half the profite, so that the assumption he is more than q billionaire seems to be quite cor rect.
 Of late years General Motors has been obtaining about half the profits, but that process did not start as early as the Fordian profits.
 During the present year, of course, Mir. Ford did not obtain anyw here near half the profits. And perhaps the year before, and even few years before that, he probably did not garner the same proportion as in the good old days when fliv- vers were running wild over the na- ton.
 But be that as 1t may. there is reason to think he has squeezed q hot billion out of the industry, giv- ing the public fast and cheap trans portation in return.
 Automobile profits for manufac- turcrs have mounted steadily since 1909, with the exception of one year -1921-Whcn they took a fearful slump. But the auto business was ! not the only industry which took q slump that year.
 In 1909 the net profits were only $25.G9Io00. By 1914 they had reach cd $59.205. .GOo. By 1915 they had reached $15S,2$S,00o. By 1919 they had gone to $2SG,537, 7,ooo, But ill 1921 they dropped to $71,442, ,00o. The next year, in 1922, they jumped to $21S,199,0o0. And from then on steadily up. until in 1926 they had gone to Sl2IS0Q.o0o.
 What the profits for 1927 will be can only be estimated, but there is scarcely a doubt that they will be far below the figures for 1926.
 The foregoing figures refer only to the profits to manufacturers of the contraptons And it must be re- mambered that during that span of years plenty of automobile manufac- turors did not prosper Everyone can . remember makes Of cars which once were quite well known but which today are entirely unknown. ] ! hcsn are the "orphan" cars Of the industry. The total Of automobile manufacturers which once looked optimis'ically forward toward sharing in the cornucopicn horn ot plenty but went under during the shuttle is said 10 be forty. That means a goodly number of amb- tious iuyeetors he, on the wrong cars. In 1927 the computation so far can h" based only on the first half Of the year. During tbis period 2l companies C ear makers, s acces- sory firms. and s tire firusl earned greater profits than during the first l.a}f of 1926.
 l Ew eo companies G2 car, truck, l il arorssory and tirJ showed smaller profits.
 And six compu,ire C car, truck, and 2 tirc) which showed profit in 1926, experienced deficits in 1927.
 The coming year iS going to show q different story, however, In the first place, the year win witness the largest replacement demand eyer cX- pcricnccl. The beginning of tho year will find the total of unified orders greater than any previous year. De rnand for CUTS withheld in 1927 will be filled in 1928. II will le a big year. and the effect on business generally will be most @amtary.