Thus, as the interim report of the Committee points out,
situation of serious gravity is rapidly developing, and unless so thing be done the 'small trader will in the next few years alm certainly disappear. A few businesses, which deal either with hi specialised trades, or are under very competent direction, may sure the blizzard. But many thousands of excellent people will their shelves becomink emptier and emptier, and will have :o f the disappearance of their savings and the ruin of a lifetime decent work. One might accept their elimination as a tragic outco of war and post-war economics"; yet it is impossible unless one determinist to contemplate without deep dismay the ruin of a c which in the past has conferred such benefits upon the commit The ultimate effect may be more serious even than the loss of so thing good ; it may entail the emergence of something bad ; for e as inflation destroyed the German lower middle class, and opened the door to Hitlerism, so also may the squeezing out of small retailer present us with a solid core of penury and subvers resentment.
* *
Previous page
