Chapter 83 Riot Industry 2
Could it be that Earl Grayman wants to share the technology of making paper and porcelain with everyone?
This idea came to many people here.
But... is it possible?
Think about it from another person’s perspective, if you master the unique technology in the world, the things you produce can bring you huge profits, and as a fiefdom noble, you have enough strength in your hands. Scare off those who are secretly thinking.
Would you stupidly take it out and share it with others?
"Count Grayman probably just wants us to sell those things further away for him, right? Although the output is small now, there will definitely be more and more in the future."
"Perhaps, the earl means to provide local businessmen with cheaper ex-factory prices to support commercial activities in his territory."
"Well... this is not bad. You should be able to make money from the difference between the buying and selling price." It’s a lot of money.”
This is what Bennett and other merchants who have never been exposed to the paper and porcelain business thought.
Then they heard the following sentence:
"Some of you guessed it correctly. I will authorize you to use certain technologies and processes at the appropriate time, and use everyone's strength to expand the territory. "
As soon as the lord said this, the people below were in an uproar.
Everyone no longer cared about being restrained. They were whispering and discussing in twos and threes, and the conference hall began to become noisy.
……
Paul took a drink of water to moisten his throat while everyone was talking below.
The diffusion of technology and supporting industry and commerce are things he has thought about for a long time. Although the invention and sales of papermaking, porcelain, and harvesters have doubled the financial income of the Lord's Mansion, the corresponding expenses have also doubled. .
The daily consumption of the army, the manufacturing and maintenance of weapons, the salaries of officials at all levels and various workers, and the construction of water conservancy projects in vast rural areas all require huge expenditures, and the remaining money is simply not enough to support them. The unfolding of various follow-up plans in the lord's head.
He has thought about raising the prices of the things he sells, but those things are not necessities of life. If they are too expensive, everyone will just stop buying them and live no matter how they live in the future.
For example, if you can’t afford porcelain and you still have pottery, you can still drink water and eat. Isn’t this how it has been for thousands of years?
There is also no need to keep something like paper with small profits but quick turnover. Others can imitate it if they think about it more.
After some consideration, he took aim at the power of the private sector and decided to support a group of powerful "private enterprises" in Alda and Bailding, and then the Lord's Palace could collect more Taxes gone.
But some industries still need to be restricted, such as machinery manufacturing such as harvesters, and steelmaking in the future, and other "heavy industries", in order to prevent technology leakage and allow more powerful potential opponents to They picked peaches, and at the current stage they still have to be firmly under the direct control of the Lord's Mansion.
For example, harvesters, let alone manufacturing, are also subject to restrictions. Now only customers in Alda and Bailding are allowed to purchase them, unless the markets in these two places are saturated or completed. Only when agriculture is upgraded will foreign customers be allowed to purchase.
Of course, if there are talented people in other places who can get a few of them through some means and copy them, then there is nothing I can do. Anyway, I can stop it a little bit.
There are some things that you must wait until you have established an absolute advantage before letting go.
However, there is no need to be too cautious about these "light industries" such as papermaking, porcelain making, and the planned salt production, food processing, and textiles. They can be opened up to the private sector now to increase the number of people. Territory taxes.
The scope of the spread still needs to be controlled, and it can only be in Alda and Bailding. Otherwise, it will be an advantage to other lords.
After discussion by the Government Council, the Lord's Government will control the above-mentioned industries through technical authorization. Authorized private factories or workshops will have skilled craftsmen sent by the lord's palace to guide production and train apprentices, but they will also be supervised by confidential personnel stationed by the lord's palace to prevent production processes and technologies from being stolen.
As the number of workers mastering new technologies and processes increases, it has become increasingly difficult and inhumane to centralize them for closed management as before.
Therefore, the Government Affairs Council is studying new management methods. The existing ideas are as follows:
Skilled workers are strictly prohibited from immigrating to other places, and violators will be severely fined or jailed;
Improve the treatment of workers and set a minimum wage for workers, which must be adhered to by both government and private companies to keep talents locally;
The Bureau of Secrecy classifies sensitive technologies as confidential matters and strictly prohibits outflow of workers who master these technologies. Or operators may be listed as confidential personnel and control over them shall be strengthened.
Paul hopes that through the above measures, the emergence of figures such as "Samuel Slater" can be delayed.
In addition to abiding by confidentiality obligations, private operators must also pay a technology usage fee to the lord's mansion every year. This kind of good thing cannot be given in vain.
Of course, if they develop new technologies and processes themselves, they do not need to pay this fee.
Paul hoped that there would be a wave of inventions and creations in his territory. To this end, he also used the patent system of the previous life as a template to urge the Government Affairs Council to formulate a "Patent Act" to protect the interests of inventors. I believe that it will not be long before can be completed and issued.
Although the patent system in the previous life had various drawbacks and was criticized a lot, for example, it weakened the market regulation function to a certain extent, restricted competition, hindered technological progress, and hindered invention and creation in a certain sense. The widespread use of patents may even lead to the emergence of some patent speculators.
However, the patent system generally has more advantages than disadvantages. It uses legal and economic means to encourage people to invent and create to promote scientific and technological progress and economic development. This was also an important factor in promoting the British Industrial Revolution that year.
......
After everyone discussed it for a while, Paul gave an overview of the content of technology licensing, including the obligations that the authorized party must abide by, as well as the confidentiality regulations for sensitive technologies.
No one has any objection to this.
On the one hand, being able to obtain the exclusive technology of the Lord's Mansion is already a good thing, but if there is no corresponding payment, they will suspect it is a trap.
On the other hand, no one wants to have too many competitors. The lord wants to prevent technology leakage, and everyone is naturally happy to hear it.
“Do you have any comments?”
I have been speaking by myself, but now Paul wants to hear the opinions of others.
After a while of silence, someone finally boldly raised his hand.
Paul extended his hand to the man in a gesture of invitation.
"Lord Grayman..."
The one who raised his hand was Bennett. He was a little nervous. After all, it was the first time he spoke to the master of this land one-on-one.
But he still mustered up the courage to continue: "If we invest in the industry you want to open, we will need to purchase space, purchase equipment, and hire workers. These are not small expenses, so can..."
He paused and finished the next words in a low voice: "...can some tax be reduced or reduced in the initial stage?"
As soon as he said this, there was silence in the lobby.
(End of this chapter)