Profits

Early and exuberant were the mid-year statements of Big Business. U. S. corporations listened skeptically to gloomy prophecies of the end of "Coolidge prosperity," then announced record sales, new high profits. Chain stores declared June sales of $123,239,775, an increase of 21.6% over June, 1927, while their six months' gains totaled 17.2%. Prohibitionists could I rejoice at the report of the company headed by Sebastian Spering Kresge, Anti-Saloon League angel, showing $62,790,164 sales, $6,527,111 earnings, as against $55,-900,987 and $5,756,039 for the first half of 1927. But vegetarians groaned at the outstanding exception among triumphant chain store operators. Newly dedicated to the slogan, "Go Vegetable-wise," the ' Childs Co. admitted a decrease in six months sales from $14,508,696 to $13,165,898.

Others who rejoiced were stockholders of these corporations:

Chrysler Corp. (new models, new radiator caps): net profits, $11,690,479 for Jan.-June, 1928; as against $10,116,749 for Jan.-June, 1927.

Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. (gum-chewing Spearmint boys): $4,907,162 as against $4,878,992.

Life Savers, Inc. (friends of smoking, drinking minors): $750,873 as against $590,986.

Gillette Safety Razor Co. (not to be resharpened): $7,575,451 as against $6,-875,232.

National Cash Register Co. (Dillon, Read protege): $3,638,343 as against $3,302,166.

General Electric Co. (Gerard Swope, Owen D. Young) : $24,388,002 as against $22,542,972.

Procter & Gamble (floating purists): $15,579,335 (for fiscal year ending June 30) as against $15,000,000.*

American Tel. and Tel. (billion-dollar corp.): $68,659,240 as against $63,882,-276.

Waldorf System, Inc. (meat-wise): $538,813 as against $495,490.

International Cement Corp.: $2,196,458 as against $2,048,545.

Beech-Nut Packing Co.: $1,510,484 as against $1,175,916.

*Estimated.