People urged to ignore war and live as normal

Never before has war been waged on such a gigantic scale and not only have millions of armed men to be fed and otherwise provided for, but many millions more have to be provided for at home, according to Sir Charles Macara, President of the Employers’ Parliamentary Association. He was discussing the impact of the war on industry and the necessity of providing relief for those who were at risk of destitution.

Stressing the importance of keeping industry moving, Sir Charles urged people to live as normally as possible: ‘The general public, while practicing economy, should, as far as their circumstances permit, continue to live as much as possible as in normal times, a course which, while preventing waste, will tend to help employment and so keep as many families as possible off the relief books.’