This being an age of general inquisition and the taking of ourselves, and especially our neighbours, to task, it was inevitable that some one sooner or later would inquire into the number of shops in England and Wales, their efficiency, their value to the community and, incidentally, to themselves. Perhaps Napoleon's sneer about "the nation of shopkeepers" has at last got home, But as he also described the English as "a nation of lions led by asses," one is justified in supposing that he thought the shopkeepers pretty good material, Still, in their own interest, there may be too many of them; and certainly there would seem to be from an inquiry' recently conducted by Messrs, Cadbury, of chocolate" fame. The figures they have obtained, are truly wonderful, hard reading as figures are usually reckone It is found that there are in England and Wales approxily 500,000 eluding street stall tigator carefully adds); which gives an average of only seventy-seven customers of all ages and sexes per shop. Allowing that the average family penditure in shops per week is only 5, the weekly turnover of each shopkeeper would be £100 and his nett returns seven or eight, These, of course, are averages; and, while one does not think of the big departmental stores in' connection with such figures, we should imagine there must be thousands of little shopkeepers in- England and Wales who would be very happy they could count on seven pounds a week: It seems unkind, therefore, to add that "the fact must not be overlooked that retail prices might be lower, and possibly retail profits higher, there were fewer shops in proportion' to the population"—the argument being that, when turnover is small, prices must be high, Analysis of the different kinds of shops reveals some curious facts. The investigator notes that in one university town the ost humorous class are con-factioners.. He does not say
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.