Chapter 269: Lack of Manpower
Guinea
With the earliest discovered gold mine already in operation, the chaotic situation immediately dashed Baron Falkners thoughts of continuing to search for gold mines.
There were simply too many competitors and examples of cutthroat competition for profit were plentiful.
Guinea was relatively better off. It was fully under the control of the Austrian colonial government, and a basic order had been established.
As long as ownership of gold mines was registered and reported to the colonial government, even if something happened to the mine owner, the government would reclaim the rights, ensuring that they never fell into the hands of others.
Attempts to seize gold mines by force were severely punished by the colonial government, with perpetrators facing the gallows if caught. This effectively curbed large-scale conflicts.
Just because they couldnt seize the gold mines didnt mean there was peace. After the gold is extracted, it still has to be sold, and the most dangerous moments are during transportation.
To combat the gold bandits, the colonial government had used garrison troops on several occasions, even resorting to entrapment, but the effects were minimal.
With no other options, everyone could only strengthen their defenses, increase the number of escorts, and even go the extra mile to reduce the amount of gold transported each time. This was the only way to prevent such situations.
Lord Baron, the production of our gold mine has increased to 1,800 pounds per month. At the current rate of transporting 100 pounds at a time, its far too slow.
Its not safe to have a considerable amount of gold in the mines. If word of this gets out, well be in danger, warned Father Bartig.
Worrying about a high gold production might sound like a joke if spoken out loud, but now he was genuinely troubled by it.
His gold mine was more than 200 kilometers away from Neubruck, passing through forests along the way, making it vulnerable to ambush.
Whenever they transported gold, they didnt dare plan the route in advance for fear of leaks.
Theres no way around it; Baron Falkners colonial team is not large, and they have to leave guards at the gold mine. The escort team cant exceed seventy people at a time.
Baron Falkner said with a pained expression, Lets wait for now. Ive already spoken to the Neubruck Colonial Government. They will send people to collect the gold and provide us with logistical support.
For the sake of safety, Baron Falkner had to sell the gold to the colonial government at a lower price, allowing them to send military forces to collect the gold.
He hadnt ruled out using mercenaries, but their fees werent cheap, and safety wasnt guaranteed.
Father Bartig said with relief, This is the best solution. There is always money to be earned, but safety comes first.
But you still have to consider one problem: the shortage of gold miners. The workers weve hired so far cant do it for the long term, they basically leave after earning a certain amount of money.
Labor shortages are a common problem faced by all gold mines. Falkner had considered hiring local workers, but unfortunately, they werent suited for the job.
They were undisciplined, disregarded the rules of the gold mine, and operated without regard to regulations. In addition to their inefficiency, the frequent occurrence of accidents was a critical issue.
After a month of persistence, he was in despair with these people. Obediently, he paid high prices to hire prospectors from colonial outposts.
Baron Falkner said uncertainly: Ive already written to friends back home about this, asking them to help recruit a number of workers to come here. Wages here are three times higher than it is domestically so we should be able to attract people.
This was the African continent, and even though the wages were higher than in the mainland, the death rate was high! Of those who came with him to seek their fortune, a tenth had already fallen, from illness, from battle, and from all kinds of accidents.
Daring, ambitious people will come rushing over of their own accord without needing recruitment. However, for the ordinary folks, unless they find it impossible to survive in their homeland, who would willingly come here to take risks?
The workers Baron Falkner needs are precisely these ordinary people those who can work steadily without causing trouble, thus ensuring the work can be carried out long-term.
Prospectors only come to work when they need money. As soon as they make some, they leave to look for gold on their own. It is always better to look for gold for oneself than to risk ones life for others.
These independent prospectors are different. When they find gold, they sell it directly to the colonial government, take their money, and leave.
Father Bartig nodded and said, That is best. If possible, I hope we can have the church built by the end of the year.
He serves Baron Falkner primarily to have his own church rather than working under someone else.
Neubruck already has a Catholic church, built with funds from the colonial government. This is a tradition of European culture, as the church has become an integral part of peoples lives.
Baron Falkner promised: Rest assured, Father. As soon as the mine is on the right track, Ill finance the construction of your church. But have you decided on a location for the church?
After pondering for a while, Father Bartig finally spoke, Originally, I was planning to build it in Neubruck, but theres already a church there. As a latecomer, it wouldnt be easy for me to develop a congregation locally.
Now Im lost, and I dont know where to build a church. Lord Baron, do you have any suggestions?
Baron Falkner analyzed: Father, your purpose for building a church is mainly for missionary work, so it must be in a populous area.
Naturally, the first choice is Neubruck, and the second would be the new colonial outposts, but those places already have churches.
Since everyone is working to spread the Lords Gospel, theres no need to be too close together. How about building the church near the gold mine? When all the workers are here, the population wont be less than five thousand.
The terrain is flat, the land is fertile, and theres plenty of water, making it suitable for agricultural production. Ive already applied to the colonial government to establish a small town here. Once the gold mine is on the right track, I plan to develop a farm here.
Also, Ive spoken with my subordinates, and theyre also interested in setting up farms here and bringing their families over. Theres no need to worry about the future development potential.
Moving here is essential; the gold mine cant be relocated, and they wont be able to leave without extracting all the gold. Who would be willing to abandon their own gold mine?
Baron Falkner was a traditional nobleman, reluctant to get involved in trade and industry, but he was exceptionally fond of establishing farms.
Hes not alone; many Germans have a fondness for farms. This is evidenced by the fact that a significant number of farm owners in the United States in later years were of German descent.
Since they will be staying here for a long time, starting a farm and becoming self-sufficient in food production is also a good choice.
It is extremely difficult to acquire land in Austria, but the situation is different in Africa. At the moment, people are being encouraged by the colonial government to develop farms and plantations. The person who develops the land will own it, and such opportunities are rare.
Baron Falkner was very clear about the domestic determination to develop the Guinea region. The current turmoil wouldnt last indefinitely. Once the situation stabilized, investing in agriculture was a good choice.
Even if its just to solve the food problem for the mine workers and avoid buying from a base over 200 kilometers away, its a worthwhile investment.
After hesitating for a moment, Father Bartig said somewhat incredulously, Lord Baron, youre not planning to exchange your domestic fiefdom for this place, are you?
Baron Falkner denied: No, I will not give up the familys ancestral property! Its just that I have a lot of children. If I dont leave them with a few more properties, it wont be enough for them.
According to Germanic tradition, the eldest son inherits the family business and the younger sons can only receive a small portion of the inheritance. This is based on the assumption that the family is wealthy.
If the economic situation is not good, the eldest son inherits the family business, and the younger sons have to venture out on their own.
Venturing out is not that easy unless one achieves great feats on the battlefield and rises to prominence overnight. In other industries, progress is slow, and one might gradually fade into obscurity.
It is only because Austria is in the process of colonial expansion that Baron Falkner himself does not have to worry about economic matters. What about the next generation? Given the opportunity, he naturally wants to provide a better foundation for the next generation.
To deal with the international political crisis caused by the situation in the Gulf of Guinea, Metternich sent diplomatic notes to six nations: Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and the United States.
London
Frankly, Prime Minister Grenville has no intention of provoking an international political crisis at this time. The British government has been extremely busy of late.
They had not succeeded in defeating the Russians in the Near East War, and now the Russian government was not staying put at all, and lately, it was even supporting the Persian government in making trouble.
In the Far East, the British have just turned Burma into a colony and are still suppressing a rebellion. Australia and New Zealand are also in turmoil, with the indigenous population resisting their rule. Even the situation in the Indian region is becoming unstable.
Compared to these colonies, the interests in the Gulf of Guinea werent worth mentioning. Even if gold mines were discovered, they werent in their hands!
The interests of seven countries are intertwined, and the disturbance of the interests of one country would have repercussions on the whole situation. The British government cannot at this time interfere with the interests of any one country.
Prime Minister Grenville asked, Is the situation in West Africa already out of control?
Colonial Secretary William responded solemnly, Yes, Prime Minister. The Gulf of Guinea is a historical gold-producing region. We originally thought that after so many years of extraction, the local gold would be completely exhausted, so we didnt expect so many new gold mines to be discovered.
Having let the New Holy Roman Empire take advantage, over 80% of the gold mines there have now fallen into their hands. We have no way to compete with them.
Prime Minister Grenville asked, puzzled, How could the Austrians, who had just begun colonization, have so quickly established such an advantage in the region?
As the worlds leading naval power, they have been in a dominant position in most overseas colonial contests. Now they suddenly find themselves at a disadvantage. Prime Minister Granville is very much at a loss.
William explained, They have too many immigrants. Not only do they have immigrants from the New Holy Roman Empire, but also from the German Federal Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and even some from the Italian region and Russia.
The New Holy Roman Empire now has over 200,000 immigrants in the Gulf of Guinea, while we have less than 10,000. Even with naval superiority, we still cant compete with them on land.
Chancellor of the Exchequer John Russell asked: How can there be so many immigrants?
William explained, Nearly half of them are refugees from the Balkan Peninsula who were thrown on the African continent by the Austrian government.
The rest are prospectors attracted by the gold mines. We have too many colonies, and there are too many places for domestic immigrants to go.
With so few Austrian colonies, the populace didnt have many options. Add to that the lure of the gold mines, so naturally more people went there.
John Russell explained, No, Earl William. Im not asking why there are more immigrants from Austria. What I mean is, why are Italians, Russians, and Germans all going to Austrian colonies?
Colonial Secretary William explained: Mr. Russell, I think you have misunderstood. Italians go to Austrias colonies because they still occupy Lombardy and Venetia. Most of these immigrants came from territory under their rule.
Its even easier to understand why Russian immigrants are heading over there. We just fought the Russians, so given the national sentiment, their choice is hardly surprising.
People in Germany have a high level of acceptance of the Habsburg monarchy, and Austrians are considered their own people.
Of course, the fact that the Austrians have the most colonial outposts in the Gulf of Guinea is also a significant factor. Many people who arrive there immediately enter their territory.
These gold prospectors have already been incorporated into the reserve forces by the Austrian colonial government. In the event of war in the Gulf of Guinea, they can mobilize an army of up to a hundred thousand.
The number one hundred thousand shocked everyone. Prime Minister Grenville said sternly: It looks as if we shall have to restrict the Austrians a little. Otherwise, relying on the advantage of the number of immigrants, no one would be able to compete with them in overseas colonization.
Colonial Secretary William thought for a moment and said: This question is really very simple, just divide these immigrants. For example, let the German Federal Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Italian states also participate in overseas colonization.
Of course, we can also be more aggressive and send the navy directly to interfere with their colonization activities.
Prime Minister Grenville glared at him and said: Earl William, everything youve suggested is a terrible idea, and is completely impractical.
This world is not infinite. Every competitor we add means less profit we can make. You actually want to create a bunch of competitors.
Using warships to interfere with Austrias colonization activities for no reason? I dont dare to implement such an idiotic idea, even if you dare to think of it.
There are many ways to restrict competitors, but war is the worst option. Can you use your brain a little?
Obviously, Prime Minister Grenville was just venting his long-standing dissatisfaction with Colonial Secretary William.
The reason was simple: the colonies were in turmoil at the moment, and many of them were facing unrest, which he believed was a reflection of the Colonial Secretarys incompetence.
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