Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-08-18 | Page 3 | War Profiteers' Harvest is Rich

Thousancfs Garner Earnings Earn-ings 100 to 3000 Per Cent Above Normal. WASHINGTON, Aug. 17. Wir profiteers profit-eers in 1917 were most numerous in business devoted to food production and distribution, cotton and woolen manufacturing manufac-turing and dealing, coal mining, iron, caliper, cali-per, alumnium and other metal production produc-tion and oil production and disl ri but ion, according to a treasury analysis of income in-come tax returns. In addition thousands of small concerns in a great variety of classifications made profits ranging from JU0 to 3ihh per cent above their normal pre-war profits, which even then were considered high. In citing certain industry hs containing the largest percentage of profiteers the1 treasury has made it clear that not all j individual businesses m these groups, have j , gathered swollen ea niings. This is true particularly of coal operators, some of whom made enormous profits while others made barely enough to pay justified dividends. divi-dends. AS'it ri few exceptions manufacturers of clothing and srves reported big profits. This was true of most concerns holding government com raets. Lumber production, s imub ted by the suddeai enormous demand from eanton-mems eanton-mems and other government operations netted forest and sawmill owners ;is we'd ?is distributors profits several times above those of normal years. t :1 producers made enormous profit?, whirh 'ryy claimed juslif.od by tbt rapid depreciation of propei 1 1 s and extra finan-: finan-: eh-.l hazard of their husire-ss. I Meat packer;?, fiour millers and fanners j stood yi th Lop of the b.-t of inx pr(-f;t- j : t;;k-:J'S. a"'eortiing to iie-orne v ;ur:.s. ; ' Farmers air-') mad'- nvo.-y Vi iy Inst j i yt:j.v, but not enoneh of !ht;.r r'-".':r:.s hnvo . n en analyzed to justify a g. stale- j j menr of their profi's. o:Vn:.;.,s s.y. I 1 Profiteerir.r? was by 1:0 m'-.ir.s c'i:-f in'-d ! 1 to big business, ."-on.ii". s--;:,e pro5 i.-rs. in ! 1 thousand- of ct-' r- porf-d jirofrn cjuaJ ( to i;,e ;.L'Lri'-;-,.: ii'ora f.vc t., t . 1 yt-.iis'j : earii.:.c.s bcf-To ibu L'l.il'-d Slates entered : 1 the war. j