No matter how hype Carl said, it can't change the fact that agriculture is ready to be sacrificed in order to speed up industrial development.
The primitive accumulation of capital is bloody, and while expanding the market externally, it must also be squeezed internally.
This is destined by the times. As a master who aspires to become an emperor through the ages, Franz is destined to eat. On the surface, the Austrian government has not squeezed farmers.
The agricultural tax of only 5% is almost the lowest in continental Europe in this era.
In fact, along with the payment of agricultural taxes, there is also a ten percent tithe, which is collected in the name of the church.
No more, the Austrian government is dominated by the aristocracy, and the policy must be tilted towards the ruling class. It is not easy to get them to pay taxes together.
However, for most people, they still have to pay a land ransom, which is the biggest burden, but this burden is borne by them voluntarily.
The Austrian government did not force peasants to buy land, it was entirely voluntary, and the government held only 30% of the rent on the land, and only 15% after deducting taxes.
If the land is to be redeemed, then a redemption fee of 20% of the land income must be paid for 40 consecutive years, or it must be paid in cash.
If the government forces farmers to pay the land ransom money and bear such a heavy burden, it is estimated that everyone will be very conflicted in their hearts, and many people will raise their opinions.
But let them buy the land voluntarily, and the situation is different, and the peasants are grateful to the emperor who gave them the land.
No matter how heavy the burden is, everyone is much better off than in the serf age. While filling their stomachs, they also have a certain amount of free property at their disposal.
Of course, they are also more tired. Working for the nobles is a foreign worker, and they can do as little as they can. Now that I work for myself, naturally no one is lazy. If you can plant ten acres of land, no one will only plant five acres of land.
Everyone wants to make more money and pay the land ransom earlier so that they can live a better life.
Yes, in the eyes of farmers, as long as they own the land, they will have a good life.
After Franz came to power, the Austrian government's taxes were simplified a lot, and the messy taxes were abolished one after another.
Except for the 5% agricultural tax, other taxes have nothing to do with farmers, and they will not be charged anyway.
The tithe does not count, it is collected by the church and has nothing to do with His Majesty the Great Emperor.
Now, the government wants to bribe interest groups in various states with low food prices, which is beneficial in the long run and increases the market share of Austrian agricultural products.
Later generations of Americans are playing cheap dumping, enough to prove that this is profitable. Although there is no money in agriculture, they have been well-rewarded elsewhere.
Otherwise, the Americans would have quit long ago. They are not for charity, who can bear the loss every year
It is not impossible for Americans to unite the major grain-producing countries to drive up grain prices. It is not because there is a greater interest in them that they have been dumping at low prices.
On the surface, the Austrian government wholesales low-priced food, which is a loss to local interest groups. But things were different when Austria took control of the food supply of the states.
Politically, governments of all countries must move closer to Austria, whether they want to or not, and it is not up to them to choose.
No matter how great the strategy is, the farmers and nobles who planted food in the early days have all become victims, and the Austrian Empire has no food subsidies.
"How can this degree be grasped? If it is only slightly lower than the international food price, then it is not unacceptable. If it is too low, I am afraid it will dampen the enthusiasm for domestic food production." Prime Minister Felix said with a frown.
From the point of view of personal interests, he should oppose this measure, but as the Prime Minister of Austria, he cannot only consider immediate interests.
Carl's flickering was still successful. Everyone knew that Austrian grain production would skyrocket, and domestic demand would definitely not be able to be consumed.
Everyone's thinking has been biased. When this happens, the solution is not just this one. For example, reduce taxes on agricultural products and increase the competitiveness of food prices.
Or develop supporting industries, such as winemaking, animal husbandry, and deep processing of grains…
"Prime Minister, this loss is just a few years ago. Considering the actual situation, we are now entering the market ahead of schedule in accordance with the 20% drop in international food prices.
After we occupy the market, we can gradually increase the price, and the losses that everyone pays now will be earned back in the future.
At the same time, the government also encourages the export of refined products and exports high value-added products as much as possible to protect everyone's interests. "Carl analyzed carefully.
This transaction, only the Austrian government dares to do so. Other grain exporting countries do not have so many state-owned enterprises that can manipulate grain export prices.
Capital is profit-seeking, and the threshold for the agricultural product industry is low. Who cares about future interests for capitalists
Take care of the present first, or else you will be beaten to death by competitors in the middle of the road before waiting for the future.
…
The strategy of "low-price dumping" was thus formulated. This is a conspiracy, who can resist the temptation in the face of interests
Franz just frowned, expressing his acquiescence. The reality is so cruel, without enough benefits, how can you pull others on board
Fortunately, in this era, people did not pay much attention to industry. Under the feudal system, capitalists did not have much right to speak. Otherwise, if Austria wanted to establish this economic alliance, the price to be paid would be even greater.
…
It is easy to make a plan, but not so simple to implement it. The tumultuous Austrian civil service exam kicked off on December 21, 1848.
In order to avoid the high mountains, difficult supervision, and serious fraud, the Austrian government set up all the examination rooms in Vienna.
The Ministry of Finance was the first to start the examination. It was not that they did not want to start the examination at the same time, but the Austrian government did not have such a large venue.
Different from the schools of later generations, you can take the test by borrowing a part of the classroom. There are not so many venues now, and many people have to take their exams in the open square.
Even the square in front of Franz Palace was borrowed by the government to serve as an examination room.
At the top of the Vienna Palace, Franz took out his binoculars and looked at the candidates who were waiting in a long line for admission, filled with emotion.
Once upon a time, he was also a member of the examination army. He failed again and again, tried again and again, and before the final result came out, his fate had been rewritten.
After sighing, Franz put down the telescope in his hand and walked down the castle. At this time, the exam had already started.
In the examination room, the examinees were answering the questions earnestly, some were bowing their heads, some were writing, and some were scratching their heads.
This is the first civil service exam in Austria. The invigilators are very professional, but they put a lot of pressure on the candidates.
A soldier with a gun and a live ammunition acted as an invigilator. If someone with a bad mental quality, it is estimated that he will be out of order when he sees this posture.
Time passed by, and the bell for the end of the exam "Ding, Ding Ding" rang.
"Everyone immediately stops writing and leaves the examination room, and the score of the offender will be invalidated." The cold voice of the invigilator sounded.
One by one, they had to leave the exam room in despair. Obviously, most of them felt that they did not do well in the exam, and many people left large blanks on their papers.
Outside the examination room, there was already a lot of people talking, and groups of three or five gathered together, complaining incessantly.
"Weigl, how was the test?"
"What else can I do? Who knows why the Ministry of Finance's questions are so biased, why do they seem to be testing everything, how about you?" Weigel said with a wry smile.
Politics, history, culture, economy, military, religion, geography, numbers, music, fine arts, international events... all the content appeared on the exam paper.
Although professional knowledge dominates, these various topics have seriously damaged everyone's morale.
"Me? I'm preparing for the next exam. Anyway, no matter what position it is, I have to take the exam, or I can't explain it when I go home." Raul said with a serious face
The opening rate of this exam has been announced, and the pass rate is as high as half.
Nobles need face, and they will be eliminated in a fair and honest competition, and they will not be able to hold their heads for a long time.
Fortunately, there are not many civilian students in this era, otherwise they will lose to the civilians, and it is estimated that their pressure will be even greater.
"You're afraid that Elena won't be able to explain it, but you have blown the cow in front of her." Weigelhao told the truth bluntly
Being exposed to the lie, Raul said indifferently: "So what, I'm a scumbag anyway, so it's normal that I can't pass the test.
It's not fair to have a top student like you who graduated from the University of Vienna to take the exam with us. "
Weigel said calmly: "Are you trying to say that if I don't pass, you can laugh at it for the rest of your life. Don't worry, this won't happen!"
Passing the exam, Weigel still has this little confidence, but what he wants to compete for is the ranking. 100% pass, and 50% pass, the treatment is definitely different.
It's almost an open secret that good grades stay at the headquarters, and bad grades go down. No one can say that it is unfair, the results are obtained by themselves.
The Austrian government pays attention to efficiency. At the same time as the end of the exam, the marking work has already begun. After the results are released, they will be announced to the public immediately, and the admissions will be determined according to the scores.
As long as the grades are the same, let’s fight for the father. The priority is given to admissions. There is not so much reason to say.