ABSTRACT
The inter-war years were a period of high unemployment throughout Britain. The total number unemployed was normally in excess of one million during the 1920s and touched three million in the worst years of the 1930s. But in the inter-war years the unemployment was on such a scale and the social distress so great that it eventually compelled the adoption of a policy. A characteristic of British policy from the early years has been the provision of trading estates operated by non-profit-making companies. Following the apparent failure of the policy measures to produce results during the first two years, the Special Areas Amendment Act of 1937 introduced a number of tax incentives along with the financial provisions already mentioned. By 1939 the trifling powers which the Commissioners had been given in 1934 had been turned into a complete armoury of weapons consisting of provision of finance to private industry, tax incentives, trading estates and labour transference.
