Chapter 318 Hanging Street Lamps
The transfer of industrial production capacity was a decision made by the Royal Council very early.
In the past few months since the end of the Seventeen-Day War, the empire has been busy with this matter.
With the joint support of the Noble Parliament and the democratically elected Parliament, this matter is advancing at a not slow pace. Of course, this is compared with the empire's past administrative efficiency.
But no matter what, the empire is seriously advancing on this matter, and so far this matter has achieved good results.
At least the first batch of factories scheduled to be moved to the north have sent representatives to move to the north for investment and construction, paving the way for the future relocation of the factory's main production capacity.
There is indeed a certain connection between this matter and what Purficott is currently doing. If the two can cooperate, it can completely help what Purficott is preparing to do. Provide support.
So after the Duke of Gloucester put forward this suggestion, the Royal Council quickly formed a resolution and decided to speed up the pace of this matter, and issued a decree in the name of the imperial center to regulate the use of child labor. Out of limits.
Of course it is impossible for the Imperial Center to come up with a mature and complete child labor protection bill immediately, but it is obviously unrealistic to abolish child labor immediately.
So they could only copy the child labor bill in the north, almost word for word, and make it the empire's child labor bill.
This undoubtedly gave Purficott a strong support. At least the child labor bill she promulgated in the Northern Territory was endorsed by the imperial center and became a law supported by the authority of the empire. It was not just implemented privately by the Northern Territory itself. of laws.
And in order to prevent the empire’s local businessmen from causing further trouble to Perficott or imitating the New World businessmen to put pressure on the empire’s center, the Minister of Industry and Commerce also went to Langton’s Chamber of Commerce and some big businessmen to tell them about the empire’s Therefore, the child labor bill was enacted entirely because the merchants in the north intended to challenge the authority of the northern lords and the center of the empire.
For the great merchants of the empire, this incident was truly an unforeseen disaster.
They can clearly understand their own position and their position in the empire better than their counterparts in the New World, and they have no wrong ideas.
Although as the big businessmen have become rich and risen in recent years, they have indeed further competed for their political position in the center of the empire, and have even almost controlled the elected parliament, but this does not mean that they have this Capital competes for power with the real important ministers or interest classes at the center of the empire.
In addition to the deep-rooted influence of traditional aristocratic forces in the empire, another very important reason is that they understand who holds the guns of the empire far better than their counterparts in the New World.
If everything develops normally and there is no kick from Perfectcott on the wheel of history, perhaps in the future as the bourgeoisie gradually takes control of power, the country will transition to a constitutional monarchy, or even set off a further revolution. A movement or revolution that overthrew the feudal monarchy.
However, a certain little-known northern lord developed the Steam Knight, which suddenly made the knight class, the most basic class of the traditional feudal system, become more powerful again and mastered much more powerful force than before.
Especially during the Seventeenth Day War, the emergence of the nation-destroying combination of thermobaric bombs and airships really made people feel the deterrence of the imperial force.
So for the big businessmen in Langton, if the Imperial Center simply promulgates the Child Labor Act, they might complain a few words like the ones in the New World, or use their own connections to try to get the Imperial Center to change decision making.
But when the imperial center showed its tough attitude and sent the Minister of Industry and Commerce to brief them, these big businessmen were very spiritual and realized the fundamental problem of the matter.
They expressed to the Minister of Industry and Commerce that they were willing to cooperate with the empire, resolutely implement every law promulgated by the empire, and provide more investment support to the north. This result is certainly not what the big businessmen want, but under the threat of the imperial center, these big businessmen still dare not act recklessly.
After all, although the Empire Center always treats courtesy before fighting, the big businessmen have no intention of trying whether the Steam Knight is as powerful as the legend says.
Compared to the empire’s central hub, the actions Perficott made in the north were much more astonishing.
Captain William mobilized an airship in the name of Purficott and carried two teams of steam knights directly to the New World.
Captain William, who arrived in New Shaker City, summoned the merchants in the name of Purficott, and then conveyed Purficott's attitude and will to them.
These merchants were ordered to immediately give up their protest and accept the legal management of the Northern Territory.
This gesture was actually Captain William's last effort to resolve the dispute through peaceful means.
Although he hopes to make Perfectcott notice him with an impressive result, it is not impossible if he can win without a fight. After all, for Captain William It's still a bit hesitant to start the massacre without saying anything.
But it was obvious that these businessmen did not appreciate the kindness and kindness of Captain William. They still insisted on negotiating with Perficott and asked her to withdraw the child labor bill she promulgated.
In order to enhance their voice and persuasiveness, these businessmen "incited" the workers in their factories as Purficott expected, and presented themselves to Captain William. We must fight to the death with the Northern Territory.
Some people even clamored in front of Captain William to ask Perfectcott to come and "negotiate" with them in person.
Although the news that the Imperial Center had also promulgated a child labor bill had spread to the New World at this time, in the eyes of these businessmen, as long as they could "persuade" Perfectcott to withdraw his order, then the Imperial Center would have promulgated it. The law will also lose its authority and deterrence in the North and the New World.
It was just a wonderful idea, but in reality...the only thing that greeted them was the Iron Fist of the Steam Knight.
In less than half an hour, all the protesting businessmen were arrested by the Steam Knights and escorted to Captain William.
And this is the efficiency that the steam knights can achieve under the restriction of Captain William's order not to use force on the workers.
Seeing how these businessmen were soon shaken like quails under the iron fist of the Steam Knight, the compassion that Captain William had in his heart had completely dissipated.
He just waved his hand, and someone hung a rope on the street lamp, and then hung up all the businessmen.
"This is the fate of resisting the empire and the northern lords. Everyone must abide by the laws of the empire." Standing under the street lamp, Captain William said to the workers' representatives.
(End of this chapter)