Chapter 84: Supporting Industry and Commerce
“Can some tax be reduced or reduced in the initial stage?”
As soon as Bennett said his words, there was silence in the lobby.
Some people secretly laughed at him for being crazy. He encountered neither natural disasters nor man-made disasters. You asked a lord to reduce taxes?
Some people are also secretly glad that Bennett, the first person, can say what they want to say.
Some people who know him well are worried about him.
Paul stared at Bennett motionless, which made him feel anxious. He would not leave a bad impression on the lord, would he?
The lord finally spoke: "What's your name?"
Bennett replied anxiously: "Ben...Bennett, Bennett Todd, uh... I'm a ship dealer from Fulan Port."
Paul nodded and said, "Oh, Mr. Todd, your proposal is very good. In fact, this is also one of the business-friendly measures I will talk about next. .”
The mayor Theodore and the consultant Old Peter looked at each other and noticed each other's doubts. It seems that the count didn't tell them about such a thing in advance?
Paul cleared his throat and continued: "As for how the tax will be reduced or exempted, the Government Council will discuss it before making a decision."
Seeing that his proposal was not consistent with the measures proposed by the lord. It was a coincidence, and Bennett breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Lord Grayman."
He thanked Paul gratefully and sat down.
The businessmen in the lobby were also excited. It seemed that the lord was really determined to support them. They looked at Paul gratefully. Many of them had secretly made up their minds to do something big.
Paul felt depressed: Oh no, why did he forget about such a measure that could whet the appetite of businessmen? Someone else actually proposed it first.
Then I saw everyone in the lobby looking at him eagerly, waiting for him to announce the rest of the business-friendly measures.
By the way, I just said it was one of them.
Okay, risk it all, Paul stood up from his seat and threw two big bombs:
First, he will order the Government Administration Council to set up an organization called a "bank" to issue loans at low interest rates to operators who lack start-up capital.
The second is that he plans to follow the example of the Corner League in the South and establish a stock exchange. Operators can sell securities through the exchange to raise idle funds in society.
“Wow——” The lobby was in uproar again.
Actually, these two things are not new.
There are many private lending organizations, but the interest rates are very high and often bankrupt borrowers. In comparison, low-interest loans from "banks" are very tempting.
The Securities Exchange of the Corner Bay Alliance has been established for a long time, but there has never been a similar institution elsewhere.
With Bennett as a leader, others also felt bolder.
A businessman asked: "Sir Graiman, I wonder what technologies you will license to us?"
What, I have said so much, but I haven't said anything about myself yet. Which industries should be opened? I really should have asked Bernard to write a manuscript for me beforehand.
Paul thought for a while and said: "The first one is paper making. This kind of paper must have been used by everyone."
Everyone nodded, this cheap paper has entered everyone's daily life.
Paul continued: "The second is salt making."
Salt making? Everyone looked at each other, Alda already had a salt-making industry, and salt was one of the few products in the northwest coastal region that could be sold overseas. After all, not every place could produce salt.
Seeing everyone's doubts, Paul asked: "Are there any salt merchants here? Please raise your hands."
After several people raised their hands, he pointed The one sitting at the front asked: "Tell me, how do you get salt on weekdays?"
The salt merchant who was pointed out stood up and first introduced himself: "Sir, my name is Godwin Toby. In this area of the northwest bay, seawater is used to boil salt, and there are salt people in the villages and towns near the sea who make a living by boiling salt. , our salt dealers go there every month to buy it, and then transport it to various places inland for sale. "How much sea salt can you buy every month?"
Godwen thought for a while and said. : "The total of all the salt merchants in Arda is about 2,000 kilograms."
Paul said: "It is too little. I have a way to increase the monthly sea salt production to tens of thousands of kilograms without burning fires. The cost is extremely low.”
Everyone felt incredible after hearing this. If Alda could really produce tens of thousands of kilograms of sea salt every month at a low cost, the money it would make would be huge. Dozens of times.
The method Paul mentioned was sea salting. He felt that the climate and light in the northwest bay were very suitable for the salting method.
Select large flat seaside tidal flats to build salt fields. Salt fields are generally divided into two parts: evaporation ponds and crystallization ponds.
Use seawater to be introduced into the evaporation pond during high tide. When the water evaporates to a certain extent through sunlight, it is then poured into the crystallization pond and continues to be exposed to the sun. The seawater will become a saturated solution of salt, and the water will gradually become saturated with salt if exposed to the sun again. Salt crystals are precipitated, but they cannot be dried directly in the sun, because there are many other components in seawater that will be mixed into the salt after they are completely dried.
What you get at this time is coarse salt, which contains impurities such as sediment. If you want to improve the quality, you can add clean water to dissolve it, filter it, and then directly dry it in the sun and recrystallize it to get a relatively clean salt. However, In addition, the output of this process will drop a lot.
In fact, the salt after secondary crystallization is still coarse salt. It is not only large particles, but also contains ingredients such as magnesium chloride and calcium chloride that make the taste bitter. It may even be mixed with sodium nitrite, which is harmful to the human body.
However, this is a harsh world similar to the Middle Ages on Earth. The people at the bottom are very happy if they can eat coarse salt. Only wealthy businessmen like Bennett can eat finely ground salt.
The nobles of this world can also eat purified salt, but they must obtain it from well salt.
The specific method is: Grind soybeans into soy milk, put it into a pot, and boil it with brine. Because plant protein has strong cohesion, it can absorb calcium sulfate, humus and other impurities in the brine to form foam. It floats on the liquid surface, and then scoops out the foam, which plays the role of extracting impurities and purifying the brine.
However, the refined salt produced by this method is simply a luxury item among luxury goods. The lower class people and the ordinary rich people should not think about it. Some places directly legislate to prohibit non-nobles from purchasing refined salt.
Seeing everyone's disbelief, Paul smiled mysteriously: "The specific method can only be known after you obtain authorization."
The lord's mysterious smile aroused the appetite of Godwin and other salt merchants.
Paul continued: "The third one is food processing. I said at the beginning that there is a war in the south, and the soldiers on the front line need to eat meat and vegetables in addition to bread and other staple foods, but everyone We all know that generally, meat and vegetables cannot be preserved for a long time. Quartermasters of every era and every army have this problem. "
"If we can find a way, If we can preserve food with the same texture for a long time, His Majesty the King will definitely place a large order for us."
Someone asked next: "Master Graiman wants us to process some dried fish and meat. Sell it to the kingdom's army?"
Paul shrugged and said, "This is also a way. You can try to make some yourself, but what I want to say is another way, which can save more than just. Not only meat, but also vegetables and fruits, and the meat preserved in this way tastes much better than dried meat.”
"I named this processed food - canned food. The lord plans to build a canning factory first. I believe everyone will be able to see it on the market soon."
Canned food? This is another new thing. Count Grayman is really a prolific inventor, and everyone is impressed.
The cans Paul is talking about are the most primitive cans.
In 1800, in order to solve the stomach problem of soldiers, Napoleon, the first ruler of France, offered a huge bonus of 12,000 francs to solicit private ideas or inventions that could preserve military rations for a long time.
In 1810, a man named Nicholas Appel obtained this prize by inventing the can.
His method of making cans is very simple: process the food, put it into a wide-mouth bottle, put it all in a boiling water pot, heat it for 30 to 60 minutes, plug it tightly with a cork while it is hot, and then reinforce it with thread or wax Sealed.
The cans produced by this simple method have not deteriorated after being opened after months of sea transportation, heat and humidity.
What could be more suitable than a can for the kingdom’s army that will fight deep into the south in the future? Of course, that's assuming they don't "supply on site" from the residents.
Hansel almost went crazy after learning about the characteristics of cans. He cried and begged Paul and the Government Administration to give priority to the development of the can industry.
Okay, the meeting has almost ended here. Paul stood up and said:
"Everyone, I've said all that needs to be said. Today's meeting will end here. If you are interested in cooperating with the Lord's Mansion, please find Mayor Theodore and Advisor Peter to sign up, or you can go home and think about it first, haha. I have other things to do, so I have to leave first.”
Seeing that the lord was leaving, everyone stood up to see him off.
After Paul disappeared from the side door, Theodore from the town and his consultant Old Peter were almost instantly surrounded by people rushing to the front...
(End of this chapter)