Chapter 338: Chapter 194: Protecting Workers’ Rights (Part 3)
But it is precisely this tenth of the nobility, whose assets are immense,
and their landholdings reach an exaggerated number.
According to preliminary estimates, these nobles own over a million acres of land, nearly 600,000 of which are farmland, a resource currently in short supply in Spain.
After all the assets of these rebellious nobles are completely inventoried, the land resources acquired will be even greater.
Although it won’t completely solve Spain’s arable land shortage, it will alleviate a significant portion of it.
Carlo does not intend to keep these lands under his control, but rather to sell or lease them to local people for cultivation.
Land sales are to be conducted at standard market prices, with up to 10% subsidy considered for some lower-income families.
If leased, it will strictly follow Spain’s land leasing laws, and Carlo will not further reduce the rent, as appropriate fees sometimes help maintain relations with the populace.
In any case, a portion of these lands must eventually change hands. Carlo does not intend for the Royal Family to become land nobility; it’s sufficient for the Royal Family to hold a small amount of land.
There are far more profitable industries than agriculture or land leasing, and Carlo sees no need to compete with other farmers for agricultural profits.
Except for retaining some flatland and plain areas for future mechanized agriculture development, it’s best to sell the rest of the land to the government or farmers.
Moreover, when it comes to land, the Royal Family still holds a complete Congo Territory. The land area of the Congo Territory is limitless; wherever Spain establishes a colonial post, there it becomes part of the Congo Territory.
Currently, Carlo is bothered by the development issues of the Congo Territory and naturally will not cling to these lands.
A few days later, the Royal Family began gradually selling and leasing the confiscated lands of the nobility.
The price set for land sales is very fair, and sales are directed towards local farmers to prevent these lands from returning to the hands of the nobility.
For the farmers who truly cannot afford to buy land, the Royal Family can lease the land to them at low prices. Currently, Spain’s land rent is relatively low, at least lower than before the land leasing law was enacted.
This effectively protects the farmers’ income, which has seen considerable growth recently.
Apart from owning vast tracts of land, the nobility also own numerous castles and manors, and various other industries.
Carlo tasked Steward Luo Lun with selecting from these castles and manors, retaining those with favorable location and environment for the Royal Family.
Those castles and manors with poor location or environment will be publicly sold to Spanish nobles or capitalists in exchange for funds.
Although the Madrid Royal Palace is one of the three great palaces in Europe, Carlo does not intend to reside in the Madrid Royal Palace long-term.
Occasionally staying at estates with good environments for vacation and residence not only aids relaxation but also benefits health.
Currently, apart from the Madrid Royal Palace, the Spanish Royal Family lacks sufficient castles and manors for Carlo’s holiday use.
The assets of these nobles are a great supplement for Carlo, as at least a few of the noble estates and castles meet Carlo’s requirements.
The castles and manors of the nobility also contain numerous valuable jewels and other properties. Due to their scattered nature, even though Steward Luo Lun’s team has been taking inventory for several days, it’s still not fully accounted for.
However, it is certain that the combined assets of these nearly 100 nobles are immense, with cash alone close to ten million Pessetas.
The value of those gold, jewels, and various antique paintings and calligraphy is even higher, reaching tens of millions of Pessetas. The total value of the inventoried assets is already close to fifty million Pessetas.
While a considerable portion is contributed by the Dukes, when accumulated, the assets of the Earls and Barons are not negligible either.
If the lands were included, the assets of these rebellious nobles would be even more. And those castles and manors, their value as real estate is incalculable.
Some castles have histories spanning hundreds of years, which may not be significant to Carlo, but if auctioned in the future, they could easily fetch over a billion, and that’s in US Dollars.
The good news is that these noble assets and various gold and jewels can be easily liquidated.
Even the currently inventoried asset value is enough to increase the Royal Family’s assets by one-twentieth.
However, Carlo does not intend to completely claim these assets as his own but to establish an organization related to poverty alleviation to enhance the Royal Family’s reputation.
Carlo acted swiftly, establishing this reputation-enhancing institution for the Royal Family in just a few days in Madrid.
Carlo named this charitable organization the Spanish Royal Relief Committee, aiming to provide timely assistance and aid to Spain’s extremely low-income population.
On the day of the Royal Relief Committee’s establishment announcement, Carlo publicly stated a donation of five million Pessetas to the Royal Relief Committee for aiding low-income individuals and promised an annual donation of no less than two million Pessetas to the Committee.
To ensure the Royal Relief Committee fulfills its purpose, Carlo further encouraged all Spaniards to supervise the Committee’s expenditures, guaranteeing that all funds allocated to the Royal Relief Committee would be used to assist low-income individuals rather than allow some to line their pockets.
After all, since it’s an institution to enhance the Royal Family’s reputation, it must indeed accomplish some substantial work.
Besides having its headquarters in Madrid, the Royal Relief Committee will expand to the capital cities of various districts in Spain, spreading the good reputation of the Spanish Royal Family throughout Spain, bringing significant prestige to the Royal Family each year.
