章 111: Chapter 111: The Future of Industry
Chapter 111: The Future of Industry
"We'll need to purchase a large amount of potatoes to use as 'seed' potatoes," Joseph said, gently tracing the patterns on his teacup as he looked at Mirabeau. "The government can only allocate one million livres right now, but the total amount required is five million. I don't have that much money on hand at the moment, so I've come to you for help."
Joseph knew that after investing in the paper mill, Mirabeau probably didn't have much money left, but he had extensive connections and was well-acquainted with many wealthy nobles. He could use his network to help raise the funds.
"Oh, and of course, don't worry—I can use shares of the paper mill or Paris Angel as collateral," Joseph added.
Mirabeau asked, "Your Highness, the only places in the country where you can buy potatoes are provinces like Alsace and Lorraine. Are you saying you'll have to source them from such distant areas?"
"Exactly," Joseph confirmed.
Mirabeau nodded first. "Your Highness, I can help you raise the money." Since the tax bill, Mirabeau's interests had become aligned with those of the Crown Prince, so naturally, he was willing to lend his support.
However, he soon frowned and said, "But I'm afraid what I'm about to say might upset you, but I feel it's my duty to bring it up."
"Please, speak freely," Joseph encouraged.
"We're only about a month away from the wheat planting season, and given the government's efficiency… well, you know how slow they can be. Purchasing millions of livres worth of potatoes will likely take them at least three weeks. That doesn't leave enough time for transportation and planting."
Joseph was taken aback. He realized he had been careless in not accounting for the inefficiency of the bureaucratic system.
After a moment's thought, he nodded. "Thank you for the reminder, Count Mirabeau. Perhaps I'll need to go to Lorraine myself.
"If I oversee things personally, I'm sure they'll move faster.
"Additionally, I'd like to take the opportunity to survey Nancy as a potential site for an industrial development zone."
"You truly do so much for France," Mirabeau praised, before his curiosity got the better of him. "Your Highness, what exactly is an 'industrial development zone'?"
Joseph put down his teacup and explained, "It's an area designated by the government where incentives are provided to attract people to set up workshops and factories, thereby promoting industrial development.
"For example, workshops within the industrial development zone could receive tax reductions, protection from interference by government officials, rewards for new technologies, and the abolition of the guild system.
"The government would also build a range of supporting facilities in the zone, such as banks, schools, hospitals, and even apartments."
Mirabeau's eyes widened in astonishment. This was the ideal business environment he had always dreamed of! Just the tax reductions alone would attract countless people to build factories there.And that wretched guild system…
Currently, in France, no matter what kind of worker you hire, you need the approval of the relevant guild. Simple jobs that anyone could do still required guild membership, with workers paying fees to the guild and the guilds extorting the workshops.
As for the government officials' harassment and extortion, that was another major headache for workshop owners.
If these negative influences could be eliminated, the profits and efficiency of the workshops would significantly improve.
Mirabeau exclaimed excitedly, "Your Highness, this idea is brilliant! An industrial development zone is exactly what France's industry needs right now!"
Suddenly feeling moved, Mirabeau realized that while the French government had always prioritized agriculture and heavily taxed or ignored industrial enterprises, the young Crown Prince was genuinely committed to promoting industrial development.
But then something puzzled Mirabeau. "Your Highness, you mentioned setting up the industrial development zone in Nancy? With all due respect, that area is quite remote and lacks significant industry. Wouldn't it make more sense to establish it in Lyon?"
Joseph nodded, understanding that from Mirabeau's perspective, his suggestion was perfectly reasonable. The Lorraine region had abundant coal and iron ore, but it hadn't yet been fully developed. It wasn't until the 19th century, during France's industrial revolution, that Nancy became a major hub of heavy industry.
"Count Mirabeau, what do you believe is the foundation of industry?" Joseph asked.
Mirabeau immediately replied, "It should be the textile industry. Mining and shipbuilding are also important, but they don't offer the same growth potential as textiles."
Seeing that Joseph remained silent, Mirabeau chuckled and added, "Surely it's not the wine industry, Your Highness…"
Joseph smiled in return and took another sip of tea before continuing, "If industry were a plant, then textiles and shipbuilding would be the stems and leaves above ground, but coal and iron would be the roots below."
He added silently to himself, And eventually, it will be iron and oil, but that's for the future.
"Coal? Iron?" Mirabeau blinked. "But the trade volume of these two is not very high."
Joseph smiled. "Coal and iron together give us the steam engine. That's the true foundation of industry!"
Mirabeau laughed. "Your Highness, you must be joking. Steam engines? Those things are practically useless—expensive and prone to breaking down."
"No, technology always progresses," Joseph replied. "In the past, Newcomen's steam engine could only be used for pumping water, and its efficiency was less than that of two diligent children.
"But now, steam engines can pump water from mines as deep as 90 meters—something no human could do.
"I'm certain that steam engine technology will continue to improve rapidly. Whoever controls the steam engine will control the future of industry."
Mirabeau still seemed skeptical.
Joseph pressed on. "Have you heard of the new automatic loom invented by the British?"
Mirabeau nodded. "Yes, Your Highness, but that's driven by water wheels."
"That's just temporary. In fact, the British are already researching how to replace water wheels with steam engines. Once they succeed, the efficiency of the textile industry will increase tenfold, if not more."
Mirabeau sat up straight, looking a bit uneasy.
Joseph went on to describe the broader potential of steam engines: "Beyond textiles, the improvements that steam engines can bring to forging and stamping are even more noteworthy.
"A steam-powered stamping machine can deliver several times the force of the current water-powered ones, and its speed is dozens of times faster. Most importantly, the precision has seen a significant improvement.
"If we had reliable steam-powered stamping machines, the cost of producing items like armor, bearings, and carriages would drop significantly, while the quality would skyrocket. Even items as small as chandeliers, farming tools, or cutlery could generate a substantial trade income if produced en masse."
He added gravely, "But if other countries master steam engine technology before we do, we'll find ourselves in a very difficult position."
Historically, it was Britain's breakthrough with the steam engine that sparked the Industrial Revolution, leading to the rise of the British Empire.
(End of Chapter)
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