Chapter 464 "Qiu Mu Island Guild Act" (Part 1)
"Hurry up, hurry up, don't be late." Aslay, who has always been impatient, shouted towards Sharet behind him.
Sharette's pace quickened, but he didn't trot like him. The night watchman who beat the gong just updated the time to seven in the morning.
The so-called craftsmen's meeting was only held at half past seven. What's the use of being here so early.
But when Charette actually stood on the platform in the front hall of the Senate Building, he realized that he was completely wrong.
Hundreds of craftsmen and laborers from Rapid City have long been waiting in front of the door to escape the heat under the marble eaves with carved acanthus leaf columns and wavy cloud patterns.
Most of them wear simple linen long-sleeved shirts. Those with more money wear linen or blended fabrics and a waistcoat.
Anyone who knows can tell at a glance who is a craftsman and who is a laborer.
Those who wear gray, brown or white clothes and wear leather hoods or straw hats are basically workers.
Those who wear black, dark blue, dark orange matte fabrics, and wear flip-brimmed hats on their heads that are arrogant to nobility but without gem decorations are basically businessmen or craftsmen.
As for those wearing black leather spike hats, there were only the night watchmen, who walked back and forth on the platform with T-shaped iron batons to maintain order.
Hanging from their waists were either page hammers or iron hooks, and even gleaming one-handed battle axes, as if the punishment for thieves was beheading.
In front of the red-painted oak door with a brass door knocker, stood two military policemen in blue. They were wearing leather armor and even had uniform sabers hanging on their waists.
This is a remnant of the Salvation Army war. Those unused single-handed or obsolete weapons basically went to the hands of the night watchmen, military police and skitarii.
Sharette still remembers that in the ten-household long prayer room, behind the wooden statue of the Holy Lord, there hung a hunting bow, a pot of arrows and two bucklers, and two more were leaning against the wall. Hook spear.
"I just said it was too late, you still don't believe it." Aslay glared at Sharet, "I knew they would definitely come early."
"I was wrong this time." Sharette and his team's Innsula was right next to the official residence square. They originally thought they didn't need to worry too much, but how could they expect these refugees to be so anxious.
Aslay turned around on the platform and whispered with a hint of disdain: "We skilled people can forget about it. What are these black laborers here for?"< br>
“Don’t say that.” Sharet knew that Aslay couldn’t control it, so he rushed up and covered his mouth, “They are still here.”
“They are here again. What's wrong?" Pushing away Sharet's hand, Aslay said disdainfully, "Can they still rebel?"
"This is Your Majesty's order. Although they are not qualified, Your Majesty did call them here. Do you still want to drive them away?"
"They secretly imitate our fabrics and fabrics. Why didn't you say this when you were buying clothes?"
"I heard that we might have the opportunity to run our own workshop this time. If you make them angry, no one will respond. Our work is over.”
After hearing this, Aslay finally stopped talking. After all, it was a fact that manpower was tight.
The military men on this island look down upon them. The only reliable labor force is these foreign workers.
However, Aslay still dismissed it and turned around to find a place to sit next to a bronze pillar.
There is naturally a reason for this sense of superiority between the two.
Although they are not masters, they are also formal craftsmen.
When they came to Qiumu Island this time, they were only willing to come because Horn promised them to upgrade their status to official craftsmen.
Within a guild, there are generally four levels: apprentice, helper, master (formal craftsman) and master.
Sharette and Aslay were both helpers in the past, belonging to different workshops.
Sharet's master, who was also his uncle, died. Without a guarantor, there would be too few opportunities to be promoted to a formal craftsman after switching to his family.
During the war, Aslay’s master did not die, he just fell and fainted.
But Aslay, who didn't know why, thought he was dead when he saw it, so he immediately spread the word that the master was dead. In the end, he was expelled from the master by the angry master.
But in the final analysis, they are all craftsmen registered in the guild. Even apprentices are better than these illegal black laborers who steal their crafts and do odd jobs.
Those people from other places come to our Rapid City to beg for food.
If this happened in the past, Aslay would definitely have scolded him a few times, but considering that he was also a bad guy from other places, he could only hold it back.
Fortunately, he didn't wait long before the meeting started. Eight night watchmen stood in two rows in front of the door, restraining the team of craftsmen and workers.
“Quiet! Quiet!”
“Keep order, stand still, don’t push and crowd!”
In neat lines, hundreds of craftsmen and refugees slowly walked into this spacious hall, which was also the place where the elders discussed matters and announced policies.
So on the walls, pillars and even bronze vases, you can see some unwashed blood stains as well as chips and dents.
At the same time, since it was only recently renovated, many places have been hastily blocked with wooden boards or even straw curtains, but it has retained the spirit of the original Gulag period.
Entering through the gate, Charette and Aslay looked around at the front hall of the Senate Building.
This Senate Building was renovated from the aristocratic palace of the Ancient Ayre period and has a retro style. The interior space is open, with thick pillars supporting the high vaults, and blazing sunlight projected through the windows into the spacious atrium.
On both sides of the atrium are temporary stepped wooden platforms. Dozens of elders are sitting on the wooden platforms, squinting at these timid refugees from Rapid City.
Going up through two curved steps against the wall, there is a terrace overlooking the first floor, and His Majesty the Pope, Saint Sunhorn is currently standing on that terrace.
“Welcome, welcome everyone.” Horn spread his arms, “Please don’t be restrained, this will be your second home.
I often say that when you come to Qiumu Island, They are from Qiu Mu Island.”
After the refugee craftsmen calmed down a little, Horn opened his mouth again and gave a commonplace introduction, asking them if they had been eating well these days and if there was anything they were uncomfortable with.
Although Horn himself would like to get straight to the point, these are necessary things.
After finishing the opening remarks a little, he spoke again.
"Okay, then I won't talk nonsense.
I believe you have heard it in the past few days, that is, there is no news that a guild has been formed in Qiumu Island yet."
When it comes to their vital interests, these craftsmen are all in high spirits.
Some of them were even poking their heads in the crowd, as if they were going to raise their hands to ask questions in the next second.
Horn did not give him this opportunity, but continued to explain: "I know you are in a hurry, but please don't be anxious, I still have something to say.
You will think, Did the original guild have big problems? "
Speaking of this, some craftsmen began to discuss in low voices. If they have opinions, of course they have opinions about the guild. This is not allowed. .
But they are really unwilling to cancel the guild, because the guild is also an organization for craftsmen to protect themselves.
Without it, these people with money and no weapons would not know how they would be manipulated by the nobles.
“We do have some objections to the higher-ups of the guild, but that won’t cancel the guild, right?” A bold craftsman raised his hand and asked.
The craftsmen from Fort Joan of Arc have long been familiar with the guild-free atmosphere of Qiumu Island. If Horn promotes this policy, they will definitely be willing to implement it.
But these rapids city craftsmen have been working for more than ten years, and the traditional inertia cannot be eliminated with a few words.
Horn still had to dispel their wariness little by little and get them to fully join in, and that's how the current meeting took place.
“No, no, no, you have misunderstood. What I want to rectify is not the guild itself, but the monopoly problem of the guild.”
Horn said categorically to these craftsmen. : "Take the clothing industry as an example. There are five guilds: tailoring, fur, glove, shoemaking and shoemaking.
I can make you a new pair of shoes, but I am not allowed to replace the soles of the old shoes. .
I have the right to replace an old jacket with two new sleeves, or to add a new jacket to two old sleeves, but I am not allowed to make a new jacket with sleeves. .
Is it reasonable that something that can be done by one person is suddenly assigned to two people? "
After saying this, the craftsmen looked at each other in confusion.
"Isn't this the case from ancient times to the present? "
"It has been like this since ancient times, so it must be right? "Horn shook his head slowly, "Obviously some people have better skills or the same skills, but just because of different guilds, they can't earn the same salary. This is too unfair.
It is because the top leaders of the guilds monopolize and seek personal gain from it, artificially erecting technical barriers, high walls, and erecting salary ladders, which invisibly hinders the development of technology. ”
Standing on the terrace, Horn glanced at the eyes of the craftsmen in front of him. Most of them showed incomprehension and even fear.
Horn knew that they were already in the warm pool built by the guild and could not get out. This is why the Norn Kingdom, as an original barbarian tribe, was able to gradually equal the empire in terms of technological development.
Those Norn barbarian guilds are all underworld and basically do not follow any rules.
In the fierce business confrontation and violent physical competition, the level of craftsmanship has been greatly improved.
For Horn himself, this form of guild cannot keep up with his strong desire for products and seriously hinders social progress.
Therefore, in the testing ground of Qiumu Island, Horn must first try to peel off the guild bit by bit.
“Everyone, the Senate has passed the "Autumn Island Guild Act". From now on, craftsmen are not allowed to form their own guilds. All guilds are established under the leadership of the Papal Palace.
The head of the guild is served by the elders, and the deacons are elected by the craftsmen themselves. The head of the guild is elected every four years, and the deacons are elected every ten years.
The guild court is abolished and merged into the commercial or civil court of the tribunal. .
Its functions are only to formulate industry standards, supervise product quality, eliminate vicious competition, etc..."
(End of this chapter)