Chapter 83: Supporting Commerce and Industry
TL: Etude
Is it possible to reduce a portion of the taxes in the initial stage?
As Bennett voiced his suggestion, the hall fell into a hushed silence.
There were those who silently ridiculed him, thinking he had gone mad. There had been no natural disasters, no man-made calamities, so why would a lord consider reducing taxes?
Others were secretly relieved that Bennett, the trailblazer, had voiced what they themselves had wanted to say.
Some acquaintances of Bennett were worried for him.
Paul stared motionlessly at Bennett, causing him to feel uneasy. Had he left a bad impression on the lord?
Finally, the lord spoke, Whats your name?
Bennett replied nervously, Be Bennett, Bennett Todd, uh Im a ship merchant from Port Fran.
Paul nodded and said, Ah, Mr. Todd. Your proposal is excellent. In fact, it is one of the pro-business measures I was about to announce.
The mayor, Theodore, and the advisor, Old Peter, exchanged glances, both seeing the surprise in each others eyes. The count had not mentioned this measure to them beforehand.
Paul cleared his throat and continued, As for the specific details of the tax reduction, the Administration Council will discuss and decide.
Relieved that his proposal coincided with the lords intended measures, Bennett exhaled.
Thank you, Lord Grayman.
He expressed his gratitude to Paul and then sat down.
The merchants in the hall were also excited. It seemed the lord was truly determined to support them. Grateful glances were cast towards Paul, and many had already made up their minds to seize this opportunity.
Paul was inwardly frustrated: Damn, how could he have forgotten such an appealing measure that would excite the merchants, only to have someone else bring it up first?
Then, seeing everyone in the hall eagerly awaiting the announcement of the remaining pro-business measures, he remembered he had mentioned it was just one of the measures.
Well, no turning back now. Paul stood up abruptly and dropped two bombshells:
First, he would instruct the Administration Council to establish an organization called Bank, offering low-interest loans to entrepreneurs lacking startup capital.
Second, he planned to emulate the Horn Bay Alliance in the south and establish a securities exchange. Entrepreneurs could sell securities through the exchange to raise idle capital from society.
The hall erupted into noise again.
Actually, these two concepts werent new.
There were many lending organizations among the people, but they charged high interest, often leading borrowers to financial ruin. In contrast, the low-interest loans from the Bank were very enticing.
The securities exchange of the Horn Bay Alliance had been established for a long time, but similar institutions were unheard of in other regions.
With Bennett leading the way, others also gained courage.
A merchant asked, Lord Grayman, may I inquire which technologies you plan to authorize for us?
What? After all his speech, had he not mentioned which industries he would open up? He really should have asked Bern to write a script for him in advance.
After thinking for a moment, Paul said, The first is papermaking. I believe everyone has used this affordable paper in their daily life.
The crowd nodded in agreement; this inexpensive paper had already become a part of their everyday life.
Paul continued, The second is salt production.
Salt production? The crowd looked at each other in confusion. Alda already had a salt production industry, and salt was one of the few products from the northwestern coastal areas that had a market in other regions, as not every place could produce salt.
Seeing the confusion among the crowd, Paul asked, Are there any salt merchants present? Please raise your hands.
After a few hands were raised, he pointed to one of them seated at the front and asked, You, tell us, how do you usually obtain salt?
The indicated salt merchant stood up and introduced himself: Lord, my name is Godwin Toby. In the Northwestern Bay area, we produce salt by boiling seawater. Coastal villages have salt workers who make their living this way. We, the salt merchants, purchase it monthly and then transport it inland for sale.
How much sea salt can you purchase each month? Paul inquired.
Godwin thought for a moment and replied, All salt merchants in Alda together acquire about 2,000 kilograms.
Paul stated, Thats too little. I have a way to increase the monthly sea salt production to tens of thousands of kilograms, and it doesnt require burning any fuel, thus keeping costs extremely low.
The crowd was incredulous at this revelation. If Alda could indeed produce tens of thousands of kilograms of sea salt monthly at such a low cost, the profits could multiply exponentially.
Pauls method involved solar evaporation of seawater, which he believed was well-suited to the climate and sunlight conditions of the Northwestern Bay.
This method entailed constructing salt pans on flat coastal mudflats, typically divided into evaporation and crystallization ponds.
During high tide, seawater would be channeled into the evaporation ponds. After sufficient evaporation under the sun, the water would be moved to the crystallization ponds for further sun exposure. The seawater would become a saturated salt solution, eventually precipitating salt crystals. However, it was crucial not to let it dry completely, as other minerals in seawater would mix with the salt.
The initial product was crude salt, containing impurities like sand and mud. To improve quality, it could be dissolved in clean water, filtered, and then recrystallized through drying, yielding cleaner salt. However, this process would significantly reduce the yield.
Even after recrystallization, the salt remained coarse and contained bitter-tasting magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and potentially harmful sodium nitrite.
In this harsh, medieval-like world, commoners were fortunate to have access to crude salt. Only wealthy merchants like Bennett could afford finely ground, high-quality salt.
The nobility could consume refined salt, but it had to be extracted from well salt using a specific method: boiling brine with soybean milk, the plant proteins in which would coagulate and attract impurities like calcium sulfate and humic substances, forming a foam that could be skimmed off to purify the brine.
However, this refined salt was a luxury, beyond the reach of commoners and average wealth, and some regions even legislated to prohibit non-nobles from purchasing it.
Seeing the astonishment of the crowd, Paul smiled mysteriously: The specifics of the method will be disclosed only after you receive authorization.
Lord Graymans enigmatic smile whetted the appetite of Godwin and other salt merchants.
Paul continued, The third industry is food processing. As I mentioned earlier, there is an ongoing war in the south. Soldiers on the front lines need not only bread and other staples but also meat and vegetables. However, as we know, its usually impossible to preserve meat and vegetables for long periods, a perennial headache for quartermasters in every era and army.
If we can find a method to preserve food for extended periods without spoiling, His Majesty the King will surely place large orders with us.
Someone from the audience asked, Does Lord Grayman mean that we should process dried fish and meat to sell to the kingdoms army?
Paul shrugged and said, Thats one approach. You can try producing some yourselves. But Im talking about another method that can preserve not only meat but also vegetables and fruits, and the preserved meat will taste much better than dried meat.
I name this processed food canned food. The Lords Manor plans to establish a canned food factory first, and Im sure you will soon see it in the market.
Canned food? Another novel concept, confirming Count Graymans reputation as a prolific inventor. The crowd was impressed.
Paul was referring to the earliest form of canned food.
In 1800, to address soldiers food needs, Napoleon Bonaparte, then the First Consul of France, offered a substantial prize of 12,000 francs for a method or invention that could preserve army rations long-term.
In 1810, Nicolas Appert claimed this prize by inventing the canning process.
His method was simple: prepare the food, place it in wide-mouthed jars, and cook them in boiling water for 30 to 60 minutes. While still hot, the jars were sealed with cork, reinforced with string, or sealed with wax.
Canned food produced this way, even after months of sea transport and exposure to extreme heat and humidity, remained unspoiled upon opening.
What could be more suitable for the kingdoms army, poised for southern campaigns, than canned food? Of course, this assumed they would not resort to living off the land from local residents.
Hansel, upon learning the characteristics of canned food, was almost driven mad with excitement, begging Paul and the Administration Council to prioritize the development of the canning industry.
Alright, I think thats enough for todays meeting, Paul stood up and announced, Everything that needed to be said has been said. This concludes todays meeting. Those interested in collaborating with the Lords Manor, please speak with Mayor Theodore and Advisor Peter to register. Or, you can go home and think it over, haha. I have other matters to attend to, so I must leave now.
As the lord prepared to depart, everyone stood to see him off.
Once Paul had disappeared through the side door, Mayor Theodore and Advisor Old Peter were almost instantly surrounded by the eager crowd
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