The Top Ten

When the U.S. Treasury published its annual list of 1947's top U.S. salaries this week, the cinemactors who usually adorn it were conspicuous by their absence. National Theaters' Charles P. Skouras, who has led the list for two years, topped it again with $810,000 in salary and bonuses (before taxes). But in the next nine on the list, there was only one Hollywoodian, Movie Director Preston Sturges.* All the rest were corporate bigwigs.

There were such veterans on the list as American Tobacco Co. President Vincent Riggio ($484,202), Bethlehem Steel's Eugene Grace ($293,279), and William Randolph Hearst ($300,000). But the others were not so familiar. They were: E. H. Little, president of Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Co. ($350,000); A. A. Somerville, vice president of Manhattan's R. T. Vanderbilt Co., Inc., which distributes chemicals ($319,398); Seton Porter, president of National Distillers Products Corp. ($310,000); Theodore Seltzer, president of Bengue Inc., which makes Ben-Gay ointment ($295,613); and G. A. Bryant, president of a Cleveland building firm, Austin Co. ($270,789).

A new group to appear among the big names were automobile dealers; at least ten appeared with incomes above $75,000. Springfield, Ill.'s Chevrolet Dealer E. W. Bates ($192,784) earned more than General Motors President Charles E. Wilson ($166,100) and almost as much as Ford Motor Co.'s President Henry Ford II ($200,000). Actually, the list was not a true measure of those with the biggest incomes--as usual, no dividends, royalties or capital gains were included.

-Betty Grable, usually near the top, was far down on the list with $208,000--although she is still the best paid woman.

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