Chapter 35 - Chapter 35: Relief and Security

Chapter 35: Relief and Security

Translator: 549690339 I

Heathman quickly embarked on his journey back to Europe after successfully obtaining Arthur’s support. He aimed to seek the support of other European football associations to create the international football federation he longed for.

What? You ask how Heathman will manage his work as Secretary-General of the Dutch Football Association?

Heathman is not a fool. Anyone would choose the position of Secretary-General of FIFA over that of the Dutch Football Association.

August 11,1900, Sydney.

The Administrative Building was particularly busy on this day, or rather, a specific room within the Government Building was bustling.

It wasn’t any special day, but it was a day worth celebrating and commemorating for all Australians.

After secretly investigating and preparing for several months, the Royal Assistance Committee Arthur promised outside the New South Wales State Parliament finally began its first round of action: distributing free food in all Australian cities.

Although the Assistance Committee screened the Australian population based on the results of the investigations, the distribution of food excluded individuals with an annual income of over ten pounds or families with an annual income of over twenty pounds.

However, even so, the number of people receiving food was estimated to be over one-third of the Australian population, reaching more than 1.2 million.

Thankfully, Australia had already achieved self-sufficiency in food production. The Assistance Committee could purchase enough food for distribution within the country.

8 o’clock in the morning, Sydney Street.

Due to the lack of manpower, the Assistance Committee had only one food distribution point in each city, but the food distribution would last for one and a half months.

During this period, as long as it was confirmed that they were low-income individuals, they could receive one free ration of food.

Although it was only one ration, the amount was quite substantial. Each ration consisted of two bags of flour, one bag of potatoes, one bag of seasonal vegetables, and one box of milk.

This food was enough for each person to eat for several months with leftovers, showing Arthur’s determination to help all impoverished Australians.

The cost of the food was around 1 pound and 5 shillings per ration. If all the impoverished Australians received these rations, the Assistance Committee would have to spend at least 1.5 million pounds.

However, this expense was definitely worth it. Firstly, it allowed Arthur to fulfill his promise and maintain his position in the hearts of Australians.

Secondly, the large-scale food distribution could also improve the Australians’ favorability towards Arthur.

After all, who wouldn’t like a monarch who would step in to help them during difficult times?

As the food relief continued, Arthur started inspecting the streets of Sydney. At the last cabinet meeting, Arthur had emphasized that the Public Security Department must maintain security in a short time and greatly reduce the crime rate in Australia.

From the current situation, Australia indeed had changed a lot compared to before. The streets were much cleaner, thanks to the government’s hired cleaners. It looked more like a modem city, although the buildings surrounding it were not tall.

Arthur was indeed pleased with how Sydney had progressed since his arrival. It had become less messy and more orderly and clean.

“Minister Thomas, the Public Security Department has done an excellent job. Sydney now has a more modern feel compared to before,” Arthur said with a smile to Thomas Chekhov, the Minister of Public Security, who was respectfully following him.

‘Yes, Your Highness. Thanks to the one thousand troops you sent, we quickly crushed several notorious gangs and reestablished order. Now, not only are the streets of the cities much cleaner, but the crime rates in major cities have also decreased significantly,” Minister Thomas replied respectfully, not forgetting to compliment Arthur again.

“How is the construction of the police stations in each city going? Are there any issues with police recruitment?” Arthur continued.

Australia had no formal police academy. Police were recruited from the Australian people, and after a short period of training, they could start working. This system was full of loopholes because carrying a gun, which was part of the police officers’ job, required a strong sense of duty and responsibility. One could only imagine what would happen if a police officer lacked those qualities.

“Your Highness, the police stations in each city are under construction, but their progress is not consistent. However, we won’t be badly affected by this issue, at least not before our new police officers have completed their training. Whether the police stations are built or not won’t affect the current security situation,” Thomas explained.

Arthur had changed the police training process, not only increasing the training time but also emphasizing the cultivation of responsibility and dedication in the police.

Police officers, who originally only needed to be trained for a week, now had to be trained for at least three months to ensure their loyalty to the country and the royal family, as well as their sense of responsibility for the position.

That’s not all. After becoming a police officer, they still had to go through a three-month trial period before they could officially be assigned a gun.

Compared to the rudimentary police training system in some other countries, this training system was much more advanced and significantly reduced the ’ issue of police officers lacking professional ethics. During the six-month screening process, most police officers developed a strong sense of responsibility for their positions.

“Yes, you are doing the right thing. The training and establishment of police stations should not be rushed. Although Australia’s security forces currently lack manpower, we must adopt an attitude of selecting the best and cultivating elites. The police in Australia will play a vital role in maintaining security in the future. The strictness of police selection should even be compared to that of the military. I don’t want any problems with the police in the future, especially with armed officers,” Arthur ordered.

In many countries, especially colonies, the police system was very imperfect and chaotic.

Under such circumstances, the power of an armed police officer was greatly magnified. If the police officer lacked ethics and professionalism, they could pose a huge threat and hidden danger to the common people.

But the question was, who would take the blame for the problems caused by the police? Naturally, it would be the government.

In the context of Australia, the ones taking the blame for the police in the future would be the government and the royal family. However, the ultimate power rested in Arthur’s hands.

This meant that if any problems arose in the future, Arthur himself would be the one to bear the responsibility.

This was absolutely unacceptable for Arthur, who valued his reputation and prestige among the common people. This was why he repeatedly emphasized the importance of the police selection system.