Chapter 308： Grab the cotton market

Prime Minister Felix took out a document and handed it to Franz, saying, "Your Majesty, considering the richness of the African colonies and the large number of immigrants, we have formulated a set of colonial economic development plans, please look over."

Colonial Economic Development Plan? This statement is very avant-garde. In Franz's memory, it should be after the emergence of the autonomous territory that the autonomous government formulated a systematic economic development plan.

In everyone's consciousness, the purpose of opening a colony is to plunder wealth. The local economic development is basically laissez-faire, without long-term planning.

Confused, Franz still took the papers and looked carefully, and soon he knew why there was such a plan.

It is not how far-sighted the Vienna government is, nor is it driven by interest groups, this is just an instinct of the ruling class.

When formulating policies as the ruling class, they naturally lean towards themselves. The aristocratic group now dominates the colonization of Africa, and it is also the aristocratic group that dominates the Austrian government.

Before the successful opening of farms and plantations, many people still had doubts. Now the plantations opened in the early days have started to make money, and successful examples are now in front of us, and everyone's attention has been greatly different.

To many traditional aristocrats, these are the wealth God has given them, and they can inherit the family business. The better the colony develops, the greater the value of your wealth.

The ruling class naturally defends its own interests and does not need to be promoted. The Vienna government has formulated a colonial development plan.

Franz asked with concern: "Has a railway been constructed from Guinea to the Congo, have you explored the terrain? Are there technical difficulties? How can we solve the funding problem?"

Well, he decisively ignored that there were many other areas on the way, beyond Austria's control.

Anyway, in this era, you are talking with your fists. Since Vienna has formulated this plan, it is naturally ready to seize these areas.

Prime Minister Felix explained: "The landform and terrain have been preliminary explored by the colonial government. In theory, our current railway construction technology is sufficient to complete this railway construction.

Considering economic needs, this railway must run through most cities. In addition to the branch railway, the total mileage may exceed 10,000 kilometers. We plan to construct it in sections. Geographically poor areas can be placed behind.

The construction funds are still mainly based on private equity, and the shortfall is supplemented by government funding. In order to stimulate everyone's enthusiasm for investment, we can allocate the ownerless land within 20 kilometers on both sides of the railway to the railway company. "

Franz knows that this railway is definitely not so easy to complete. Many theoretically achievable technologies will cause people to collapse in the high cost of actual construction.

The African colonies are not indigenous, and most areas have not been effectively developed. Many raw materials have to be transported from within the country, and construction costs will definitely increase significantly.

Judging from the economic development of the African colonies, this strategic + economic dual role railway may not be profitable in the next few decades.

The profit point of the railway company is on the land on both sides of the railway. Whoever undertakes this railway is the biggest landowner.

This is the way to learn about the construction of American railways. Now such land is naturally worthless, but when the railway construction is completed, the land will also increase in value.

The railway company can build a station every other area and radiate to the surrounding area. The traffic problem has been solved, and no matter whether it is a plantation or mining in these areas, good returns can be obtained.

If left in the afterlife, it is estimated that such a business will be crowded. Twenty kilometers on both sides of the railway, that is, forty kilometers. After the completion of this railway, more than 400,000 square kilometers of land ownership can be obtained.

With such a large area, even if there are no resources, the construction cost can be recovered by selling wood alone.

Unfortunately, nowadays, neither wood nor minerals buried in the ground are worth much. Unless a gold or silver mine is discovered, it is unknown whether this investment will be profitable.

After careful calculation, Franz found that this was actually a good project.

In the construction of railways in Africa, first of all, labor costs can be saved. Even if there are labor protection laws, local indigenous people do not know where to go to complain.

Of course, even if a complaint is found, it is useless. The complainant must learn German first, otherwise the case will not be accepted.

Indigenous people who can learn German will not be workers at the bottom. Such talents have long been promoted to supervisors. They are going to complain. The first unlucky one is themselves.

Everyone is face-to-face, and the abuse of workers must be a supervisor. No high-level official will drop himself and rush to the railway site to take a whip.

Basic materials such as gravel and sleepers can be taken by yourself, and cement does not need to be purchased. It is entirely possible to build a local cement plant, which saves most of the raw material costs.

Even mechanical equipment and rails need to be transported from within the country, in fact the freight is increased. Overall, construction costs are within controllable limits.

The railway company owns such a large area of ​​land, even if the development is even worse, the sale of resources can also make a profit.

Franz said calmly: "Since these problems have been solved, then the railway should be repaired! But remember to control costs, the government cannot invest a lot of financial resources on this railway.

It is a good idea to focus on the development of the plantation economy, but there is still a need for focus.

The colonial government can organize experts to conduct on-site inspections on where to plant what crops, and then guide everyone to plant what.

The government sorted out the local soil, climate, hydrology and other data, and then listed the economic crops suitable for planting and distributed them to the people.

The specific planting should be left to everyone's choice, and the government will not force it.

According to the current international situation, the civil war in the United States is imminent, and their cotton and tobacco exports will be affected by then. We can make preparations in this regard. "

This railway is in everyone's interest. Once the land transportation problem is resolved, everyone can develop more land. There is no need to only develop coastal and riverine areas.

As one of the vested interests, Franz will naturally not object. He even has to get involved and take a piece of it.

As for when this railway can be repaired, will it become a bad project, Franz is not worried at all.

The colony is not native. If it encounters terrible terrain, the construction cost is too high, so it does n’t matter if the construction is stopped for a few years, and the construction period is not urgent anyway.

The focus on the development of cotton planting is mainly to grab the US cotton market. Cotton exports will definitely be affected once the civil war breaks out.

You know, American cotton exports in this era were close to $ 190 million, accounting for two-thirds of the global cotton export market.

Historically, the U.S. civil war caused the export of cotton to be cut off, and the British cotton textile industry was hit hard. In order to avoid getting stuck in his neck, John Bull forced cotton cultivation directly in India.

By the end of the war and when trade returned to normal, US cotton exports had fallen to $ 6 million, and no longer dominated the cotton market.

Austria ’s colonies are also suitable for growing cotton. As long as they can seize a third of the American market share, the colony ’s finances will turn over.

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