.
Although specific controls directed irresistibly to general controls, the government was unwilling to take up the further powers called for, always hoping that prices and the profit motive would operate to make State action unnecessary. Its actions were generally taken as late as possible, its power were as controlled as consistent with the purpose in hand and the central guiding hand. In 1916, British began to be dimly understood that she need a complete system of control using all available resources together for better productivity. Not until 1917 did controls begin to be comprehensive and it was the last year of war that British economy could be said to be on a full war footing. .
Picture of Lloyd George .
In the period just after the war, trade and employment in Britain were enormously good. In the year 1913 only 2.1 per cent of the workers were unemployed, which was less than one-tenth of the percentage and number unemployed in the year 1932. Millions of workers in essential industries were recruited, soon the fact that there were more men in uniform than there were arms available to equip them. By June 1915, 19.5% of the male workers in engineering trades had enlisted. That effort had to be made to fill the gaps and that speed arrangements had to be made. .
In the Treasury Agreement of March 1915, The Minister of Munitions, Lloyd George had agreed that the trade unions were to accept dilution'. Dilution' is the substitution of skilled labour by unskilled or semi-skilled men or women. Everywhere there was some substitution of female labour for male. Several occupations, the lost of men was made good to a greater degree by an increase of employment of women; thus food, drink and tobacco lost 113,000 men, but gained 34,000 women; commerce and finance lost 555,000, but gained 449,000; and the Civil Service and Local Service lost 173,000 men, and gained 201,000 women. Between July 1914 and November 1918, a total net increase of nearly 1,200,000 workers which includes men.
