THE CHAMBERLAIN CITY 63

The result was that the position built up by Joseph
Chamberlain was maintained and extended by his
kinsmen, who were to be found in many of the most
responsible positions in the City. It followed that
there was no profound need for pessimism in the case
of a young Chamberlain, not quite thirty years of age,
returning to Birmingham in quest of the commercial
future which the Bahamas had denied him. Neville
Chamberlain was especially fortunate in that his
uncle Arthur Chamberlain had not followed his
brother's example in deserting business for politics,
and was at the time of his nephew's return one of
the leading members of the business community in
Birmingham. So it was that there was no great
difficulty in launching the young man, who was
experienced in administration though unversed in
success, upon his new business career.

In business Neville Chamberlain was associated
with three concerns. There was Elliot's Metal Com-
pany; there was the famous Birmingham Small
Arms Company; and thirdly there was the business
acquired from Messrs. Hoskins and Son of manu-
facturing metal berths for ships. Into his work in
these three concerns Neville Chamberlain threw
himself with an eagerness in which his natural
conscientiousness was reinforced by the resolution
that this time with a fair start he would show his
worth not only by the quality of his efforts, but by
crowning them with success. His long sojourn on
Andros Island had had the effect of strengthening
his natural qualities. The tenacity and thorough-
ness which were his by nature had been subjected
to an exacting test in the losing battle which he had
fought during the sisal experiment.

It was inevitable that such qualities would either
be crushed or strengthened. In fact they were
proved and tempered by the test through which