The Establishment of the Union and the Statistical Committee
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
When the directors of Northwest Industries (the lords) learned that a deal worth over a million silver coins was heading their way, they were practically overjoyed.
When Paul proposed the establishment of Northwest Industries, the lords initially participated with the mindset of making a little extra money for fun. No one expected it would become a significant source of income for them.
They hurried from their respective territories to Alden Town, eager to catch a glimpse of the extravagant and mysterious client.
It turned out to be the eldest son of the Foster family from the Horns Bay Alliance, which was a big deal.
In recent years, due to Alden leading the trend in foreign trade, the previously isolated Northwest Bay began to gradually engage with the outside world, and the lords knew of the Foster family's status within the Horns Bay Alliance.
They vied to flatter and entertain, hosting banquet after banquet to welcome the Foster brothers.
In the newly built residence of Earl Pryce Parker in Alden Town, a lively dinner had just concluded, and as the guests began to disperse, the mansion fell quiet.
In the bridge room on the second floor, a few people were still gathered around the table, playing cards and chatting quietly.
They included Earl Paul Grayman of Alden, Earl Malon Ganard of Byerldine, Earl Winfried Heller of Portley, Duke Henry Fraule of Northwest, and the host, Earl Pryce Parker of Lanaka.
These five were the most influential directors within Northwest Industries.
There was also one other person in the room: Derrick Heller, the son of Earl Heller, who was not playing at the table but standing by to assist his father, who had difficulty moving.
While organizing his cards, Paul said, "Gentlemen, with the ongoing increase in foreign trade, I believe we cannot merely keep the customs union plan on paper... Haha, I'm having good luck tonight."
He threw down several consecutive cards.
"I agree!" Malon chimed in, well aware that he and Paul were in cahoots.
The others had varying expressions on their faces.
"Hehe! I agree too," Duke Henry Fraule said with a smile. "It's about time we got it done."
The Fraule family's direct territory was Manda, known for its agricultural products, while Alden and Byerldine excelled in manufacturing. Their advantages didn't conflict, and the cheap salt and iron tools produced by Alden were in high demand in Manda, an inland agricultural territory. Without the various tolls charged by the smaller territories along the route, these goods could be sold to Manda at lower prices. Of course, if they cancelled tariffs, they wouldn't be able to collect tolls once it reached their land. It was painful to consider, but one must weigh gains against losses for long-term benefits.
To be serious, Henry's position in the Northwest Bay nobility was somewhat awkward. Traditionally, the Fraule family should be at the top among the lords, but during the Pretender War, they lost control to their vassals and suffered defeat. The current head of the family had only gained the title of duke with the support of outsiders, which significantly damaged their family's prestige. The duke's title wasn't as impressive anymore.
In recent years, the one whose status had skyrocketed was Paul Grayman, who had previously been relatively unknown. Not only did he demonstrate formidable strength during the Pretender War, but his leadership in establishing Northwest Industries after the war allowed many involved to profit handsomely, endearing him to many. Prestige cannot be built solely through force without some carrots to go along with the sticks.
Additionally, since his rise was largely thanks to the power of the Alden army, Henry always felt a bit uneasy whenever he was in the same room as Paul. Fortunately, Paul was considerate, always greeting him respectfully and including him in good news. Major moves like the customs union were also communicated to him in advance. Thus, Henry was happy to use what little prestige remained in his family to cooperate with Paul.
Meanwhile, Earl Parker and Earl Heller exchanged glances, their expressions difficult to describe.
The two had previously promised to support the establishment of the customs union, but in practice, they encountered significant obstacles.
Paul looked at them with an understanding expression.
"I know what you're worried about. Come over here and listen to me for a moment."
The five of them stood up, leaning in together around the small card table.
"Ah, is this how we do it? Is it feasible?"
"What are you hesitating for? If those country bumpkins don't know their place, we'll deal with them."
"Let me take a look; we can give it a try."
...
"Alright, let's do it this way—everyone works together."
After the discussion, the five lords sat back down.
Parker hesitated and said, "Um… Earl Melken has never shown interest in our plan. Should we try to persuade him again? Strength in numbers, after all."
Paul and Henry Fraule exchanged uneasy glances, saying nothing.
Earl Melken was one of the original opponents of the Kent family's initiative during the Pretender War.
If one were to discuss who contributed the most during the war, everyone might have their own opinion, but if one were to consider who was most jubilant afterward, it would certainly be Earl Melken.
What Paul found most intolerable was that Earl Melken always assumed a senior position when addressing him, constantly "advising" him.
To those unaware of the truth, it seemed that Paul's current achievements were largely thanks to the support of the elder Melken.
Moreover, Earl Melken showed a certain lack of respect toward the current Duke Henry Fraule.
Before anyone else could speak, Derrick, who had been quietly standing behind his father, expressed his opposition first. "Bringing in that Melken guy will definitely cause trouble. He's a greedy and mean-spirited man."
Earl Heller's expression darkened as he reprimanded his son, "Be quiet. This isn't a place for you to speak, and stop slandering others. Just stand there."
Derrick retorted, "I'm not slandering him! Since Melken joined Northwest Industries, he's used all sorts of means to exploit the people for profit. Now, all the blacksmith shops and iron mines in his territory bear his name."
"Alas!" Earl Parker shook his head; he had heard about Melken as well.
Let's avoid contacting Melken for now, the lords silently agreed.
The next crucial point was the allocation of external tariffs.
The so-called customs union meant that within their alliance, everyone would waive tolls, but they would charge for the entry and exit of goods from outside the alliance without exception.
However, due to geographical reasons, some territories could collect a significant amount of external tariffs, like Alden with its seaport, while others could not.
Thus, at Paul's suggestion, the taxes collected from external goods would go into a public treasury for the alliance, used for public expenses such as paying staff salaries or supporting infrastructure development in underdeveloped areas. Any surplus would then be distributed according to the population ratio of each member territory—after which the individual lords would decide how to use it.
The population of each territory couldn't just be guessed.
Besides Paul's rough estimates in his own jurisdiction, the lords had only a vague idea of their subjects' numbers.
Therefore, again at Paul's suggestion, the customs union needed to establish a statistical committee.
The committee's duties would not only include population statistics to provide a basis for treasury allocations but also the collection of economic trade data, such as the quantity and value of imports and exports, to inform the alliance's trade policies.
In the future, it might take on more statistical responsibilities.
Who would be in charge of managing this statistical committee?
"I propose that our brother Malon serve as the chair of the committee," Duke Henry Fraule raised his voice to offer his opinion.
"Well… let's discuss this among ourselves," Malon stood up, repeatedly deferring with a look of embarrassment.
"Brother Malon is fair, meticulous, and serious in his work. It would be no problem to leave the committee in his hands," the duke insisted.
"I second that!"
Paul also voiced his support.
Then Henry, Paul, and Malon all turned their gaze to the remaining two.
"I… I… I don't oppose in principle," Earl Heller said hesitantly in a low voice.
"Okay… well, I trust Earl Ganard as well," Earl Parker reluctantly agreed.
After all, no matter who led the committee, each territory would send its own people to maintain mutual oversight.
Thus, the long-delayed customs union was finally officially established.
(End of the Chapter)
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