The Royal Dilemma 7
Translator: Cinder Translations
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After thoroughly introducing the so-called secondary industry, Eileen began to earnestly suggest to her father and sister.
"Regarding the first type of limitation, which is the technical limitation, I recommend that the kingdom issue a decree to protect technological patents. Once an advanced technology is invented, the inventor can apply for patent protection from the kingdom's government. This technology can be used by others, but they must pay a certain usage fee to the patent holder. This fee should be set by the kingdom government based on the technology's value, ensuring it's not too low to harm the patent holder's interests, and not too high to deter others from adopting it."
At this point, she paused, thinking for a moment before continuing:
"Regarding this decree, I suggest directly adopting or referencing the patent protection law currently used by the Northwest Bay Customs Union, as their regulations are quite mature, which will facilitate our introduction of various relatively advanced production technologies from the Northwest Bay."
"For the second type of limitation, which is the production method limitation, I recommend that the kingdom build large-scale factories, gathering all individuals engaged in the same production activities into the factories. We can manage the craftsmen like we manage an army, allowing them to communicate and learn from each other. On a broader level, the concentration of production can greatly reduce the costs of storage and transportation for goods, while also avoiding waste of raw materials. Additionally, for more complex production activities, we can designate a group of people to be responsible for specific processes. Their completed part will be passed on to another group for the next stage, allowing products to flow smoothly through different hands until they are finished. Moreover, having an individual focus on a small part for an extended period can help them become proficient more quickly in that area, and it can also make them more dependent on the collective."
"Furthermore, I also suggest establishing dedicated schools to teach craftsmanship skills, training qualified craftsmen in batches. We can grant different rank titles based on the craftsmen's skill levels, similar to how noble titles are categorized."
After saying so much, Eileen felt a bit thirsty.
At this moment, a royal servant on standby in the assembly hall timely brought honey water for the princess to quench her thirst.
Seizing the moment while her sister took a brief rest, Catherine pondered over Eileen's earlier words.
She caught a strange term—"Customs Union."
"Eileen, what do you mean by the 'Customs Union' you mentioned? It sounds like an organization."
Eileen nodded at her sister. "It is an organization. Moreover, its establishment is closely related to the third type of limitation I mentioned—demand."
"A few years ago in the Northwest Bay, like in the kingdom's other territories, there were many checkpoints. Later, at the suggestion of Earl Paul Grayman, the various lords abolished tariffs between each other to promote the flow of internal goods, forming the Customs Union."
"With no tariffs, the costs incurred by merchants selling goods significantly decreased, which greatly increased their desire to trade. The commerce in the Northwest Bay quickly developed as a result."
Catherine interjected, "But wouldn't abolishing tariffs result in a significant loss of revenue for the territories?"
Eileen explained, "Tariffs are only abolished within the union. However, taxes are still levied on goods flowing outside the union, and the tax revenue is distributed according to the population of each territory. In the early stages of the union's establishment, even with some technical advantages, the manufacturing sector in the Northwest Bay was still relatively weak compared to other regions, so they had to rely on tariffs to protect local industries."
"Moreover, the accumulation of wealth is a dynamic process. Taking Earl Grayman's Alden territory as an example, although the territory's revenue initially decreased to some extent, the elimination of internal tariffs significantly lowered the prices of goods, directly stimulating consumer demand among the populace. The market became active, leading to a situation of supply not meeting demand, prompting the establishment of new factories and shops. Alden also retained taxes on commerce; while tariffs disappeared, commercial taxes began to multiply, resulting in the overall revenue of the territory multiplying several times within just a few years."
"Increasing the demand and purchasing power of the people can also be achieved by reducing harsh taxes imposed by the kingdom government, and setting a limit on the rent that landlords can charge tenants, allowing farmers to save some money."
"Of course, the increase in Alden's revenue is also related to overseas trade. Once our own industries develop, we can also emulate the Northwest Bay and establish a large overseas trading fleet…"
The king listened with great interest to his youngest daughter's description.
Finally, he chuckled and said, "Eileen, while I am frustrated by your running away from home, I must admit that your trip to the Northwest has indeed broadened your horizons."
He turned to Catherine and said, "Perhaps we can try a few of these ideas, such as building a few factories and skill schools, oh, and also patent protection."
Eileen pouted, "Father, why not implement it all at once? I've seen that these measures are effective."
The king shook his head. "The area and population of the royal territory far exceed those of the Northwest Bay, and the complexity of each problem is also much greater than that in the Northwest Bay. At least for now, the kingdom cannot accept a decrease in fiscal revenue, even if it's only for a few years. Moreover, even Earl Grayman didn't just come up with the so-called Customs Union overnight, did he?"
"Uh… that's true."
Eileen recalled her experiences attending the Council meetings in the Northwest Bay, where Paul often sighed about the resistance his reforms faced.
She estimated that similar challenges would arise in the royal territory as well. Thinking of this, she said to her father, "In that case, please send someone to the Northwest Bay to discuss matters with Earl Grayman. There are many readily available new technologies there, and if we can introduce them into the royal territory, it will surely yield quick results. The royal family can lead the way to establish a joint-stock enterprise with the southern nobility."
"A joint-stock enterprise?"
"Yes, it's essentially a partnership for business, with profits distributed based on shareholdings."
"Oh, I see."
"The profits can be distributed to those southern nobles, using money to ease their sense of loss from losing their territories. Ah, by the way…"
Eileen eagerly requested, "Please ensure that the paper mill is introduced first; my school… the royal territory needs a large amount of paper."
The king agreed, "I understand what you mean."
He picked up the meeting notes on the table, his fingers repeatedly stroking the paper used for recording.
"So this useful paper actually comes from the Northwest Bay; it's really nice. The people of Aldor invented this paper. Well then!"
He made a decision, saying, "I will send…"
"Father!" Eileen suddenly spoke up, "I can help you out. I'm very familiar with the Northwest Bay and have formed a friendship with Earl Grayman; I even have a house in Alden Town that I bought."
"Hmph! You stay put in Crystal Glare."
The king firmly rejected Eileen's proposal.
"I will send your cousin to talk to Earl Grayman."
"Your Majesty!"
Eileen's voice contained dissatisfaction.
…
It seems that the starting point for the series of changes in the Northwest Bay is this Earl Paul Grayman.
Catherine silently thought about this.
What kind of person is he? The eldest princess suddenly became a bit interested in this noble subject of the kingdom far away.
She even had the thought of wanting to meet him.
(End of the Chapter)
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