Show TI TJ SWOLLEN GAINS AINS REACH 3 O R War Profiteering Not Confined Confined Con Con- ConI I I fined to Big Business Says Report By Aa Associated Press Pres W WASHINGTON Aug 17 War profiteers in m 1917 were most numerous In business ss devoted to food production and distribution cotton and woolen manufacturing arid and d dealing coal min mm- ing Iron copper aluminum and other metal metat pr production and oil production and distribution according to a treasury treasury treasury treas treas- ury analysis of Income tax returns In In addition thousands of small concerns con con- cerns in a great variety of mal made profits ranging from vo to per cent ent a above ove their normal prewar prewar prewar pre pre- war profits which even then were considered considered considered con con- high In citing certain industry as containing containing con con- taming the largest percent percentage ge 0 of ot profiteers the treasury has made It clear that not all individual businesses In these groups have gathered in swollen swollen len earnings This Is true particularly of coal oI operators some of whom made i enormous profits while others made barely enough to pay justified dividends divi divi- I PROFITS ENoRMOUS With few exceptions manufacturers of clothing and shoes reported big profits This was true of most concerns concerns con con- cerns holding g government contracts Lumber umber production stimulated b bt the sudden enormous demand from cantonments and other government netted forest and sawmill owners as as' well as distributors distributors- profits several times above those of norm normal l years Oil made profits which they claimed justified b by the rapid depreciation of properties and i extra financial hazard of their busl- busl I t ness PACKERS HEAD LIST I Meat l packers flour millers and canners canners canners can- can ners stood at the top of the list o of food tood profit takers according to income re re- re turns Farmers also made money heavily last year ear but not enough of their returns returns' have been analyzed to justify a g general eral statement tate ent of their profits officials say shy Profiteering w was s by no me means ns confined confined confined con con- fined to big business Small scale producers pro pro- producers In thousands of ot cases r reported ported pro profits its equal to o 0 the aggregate from rom five to ten ye years years' rs' rs earnings before the United States entered the war |