Finance—Public & Private
The Quicksands of the City*
A. YEAR ago the City, and the Stock Exchange in particular, was in high favour with the public. Stocks and shares were, for the most part, advancing, especi- ally in the Industrial section, although the after-effects of the feverish industrial share boom in 1928 were just beginning to be felt. To-day the City, and again the Stock Exchange in particular, is extremely unpopular, the public shaking its head over the wiles of the company promoter and even of the stockbroker himself, and the usual vows are being taken to have no more to do with Stock Exchange speculations, vows which will doubtless be broken at the first sign of any opportunity of making profits in a rising market. At a thoroughly opportune moment, therefore, there has appeared this week a new book by Mr. Hartley Withers entitled The Quicksands of the City. It is unnecessary to say that, like all Mr. Withers' works, it is eminently readable • indeed, it is more than that, it is enjoyable, for Mr. iVithers has so clear and racy a style that his comments even upon such a work as the Statistical. Abstract -of the United Kingdom might be expected to make entertaining reading.
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