Chapter 823: Collecting Money
Chapter 806: Collecting Money
Influenced by the French large farm program, British experts and scholars also followed the advocacy of “food self-sufficiency strategy”, suggesting that the government in the overseas colonies to open up the grain silos belonging to Britain.
Unlike the French, the British had too many options. With the strength of the Royal Navy, Britain did not have to worry about food.
Both the Union States in North America and Argentina and Brazil in South America were granaries for Britain.
Even the newly developed regions of New Zealand, Australia, and Canada likewise had the potential to become the Empire’s breadbasket.
If it is not possible, squeezing from India will be enough.
Anyway, the population of the British Isles is just a little bit, the mainland will be able to self-supply 70% of the food, the remaining millions of people’s food problem is not difficult to defeat John Bull.
Britain’s food security is no longer high, but also does not prevent experts and scholars bragging. As long as the money is there, there is nothing that can’t be done.
For the sake of the pound, the experts quickly cited a long list of reasons, and even the shameful Irish Famine was brought up.
Before the government could react, folk panicked first. I do not know which unscrupulous capitalists are spreading rumors, claiming that Russia and Austria suffered a drought, the second half of the autumn grain harvest is extinct.
Such an absurd rumor was believed, and not just by one or two people, because the price of food had really risen.
As a lawyer, Bill’s insight was much better than ordinary people, and did not fall for the rumors and run to grab grain.
“Sir, in recent times there have been crazy rumors about the drought in Eastern Europe, Russia and Austria’s autumn grain harvest this year is extinct, and there has been a small increase in the price of food in London.
In order to reduce your expenses, it is recommended that you stock up on a batch of grain first. If you have enough funds, you can also stockpile more, and then sell it off after the big rise in food prices.”
The butler’s reminder did not shake Bill’s judgment. What kind of drought could make all the grain in Russia and Austria go out of harvest?
One must know that it was only June, the grain had only been planted for a short while, and there was still a long time before the fall harvest.
Even if not a single drop of rain fell in the first half of the year, as long as there was enough rain in the back, it would still be able to preserve most of the crops.
If the Russian and Austrian alliance and the two countries grain harvest, now the international price of food has already gone up.
A small increase?
If it hadn’t gone up three or five times, it would have been on the conscience of the capitalists.
Bill laughed and said: “These are rumors, only ignorant fools will believe. If Russia and Austria really had a grain harvest, they would have stopped exporting grain to the outside world long ago.
Without Russian and Austrian grain, the international grain market would be paralyzed. The most sensitive futures market didn’t even react, so what’s there to worry about.”
This is true, the futures market is indeed the most sensitive. Instead, the bookmakers won’t give up speculating when there is the slightest sign of falling grain capacity.
“Yes, sir. I also don’t think it’s possible for the grain harvest in Russia and Austria to be extinct, but it’s probably true that it’s suffering from a drought.
Just yesterday, the London Daily News reprinted a copy of the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture’s drought plan. If the drought had not struck, no such plan would have appeared at all.
Given the credibility of the London dailies, they shouldn’t lie about such news. The futures market didn’t react, and it’s likely that the bookmakers hid the news.”
Hearing the butler’s explanation, Bill was instantly convinced by three points. After all, the futures market is too seriously manipulated by the bookmakers, and many times it goes up or down, it is really not the market that decides.
After hesitating for a few moments of effort, Bill made a decision, “Then go ahead and acquire a batch of grain, but no need to go to the grain store to buy, I will contact the wholesaler directly.”
……
In the spirit of “better to believe it than not to believe it”, there are many people who made similar decisions.
Anyway, grain is a necessity of life, even if the price doesn’t go up in the later stage, it’s still a good idea to keep it and eat it slowly.
It’s better to be unprepared and wait for the food price surge to come, and then run to buy food.
Affected by the rush, London’s food prices are all the way up, affected by this price increase, join the food grabbing team is also more and more people.
Downing Street, the Prime Minister’s residence, the growing trend of food grabbing, so that the Prime Minister Gladstone can not sit still.
Food is the most important thing for the people, which is common in the ancient and modern times.
The fact that a mere rumor could cause the price of food to rise in Britain was proof enough that Britain’s food security was not so solid.
Gladstone: “What do you think about the recent period of time, the folk advocating food self-sufficiency, and the continued rise in domestic food prices?”
What to think, sit back and watch.
The people present, it is clear that it is nothing more than to see the French engaged in a large farm program, a group of guys who want to profit from it, behind the scenes to manipulate public opinion, artificially create panic.
Minister of Agriculture Diers Barelus: “The government has arranged to dispel the rumors, but for the time being, the effect is very little, and so on some time after the autumn grain market, the domestic food prices will be stabilized.
From this fluctuation, but also from the side of the confirmation of our food security, too much foreign influence, not as solid as we thought.
Fortunately, this time is only a rumor, if Russia and Austria really suffered a major drought, the consequences would be serious.
In terms of security, the French food self-sufficiency program is still very much worth emulating.”
Whether it can make money or not aside, once the agricultural self-sufficiency program gets off the ground, the Ministry of Agriculture’s voice in the government will increase dramatically.
As one of those with a vested interest, it would be impossible for Dies Barrellus to oppose it.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Xiaoji Childers, warned, “We are not the same as the French, and a strategic plan that works in France may not work in Britain.
The French are not in the free trade system or anything like that, they run food self-sufficiency programs, they can rely on tariff barriers to protect them, and this investment is still guaranteed.
From the current situation, it is inevitable that there will be a decline in international food prices, and the market will be very competitive in the future.
If we follow suit, we will have to compete directly with the world’s major grain-producing countries, and perhaps by then we won’t even be able to sell at the cost of growing food.
Economically, this is an investment destined to lose money. The domestic market turmoil is only temporary and will soon recover.
There are so many places Britannia can import food, and with the Royal Navy around, there’s no need to worry about being blockaded.”
While enjoying the benefits of the free trade system, Britain must also be subject to it.
In normal times, there was nothing wrong with that. Anyway, Britain imported industrial raw materials, food, these necessities, there was no need for tariff barriers.
Not if you want to achieve food self-sufficiency, which requires direct competition with major food-producing countries, or a price war.
Think with whatever you want, you know that growing food in the colonies will cost more to produce than other food exporting countries.
Lose money, at most harvest a food self-sufficiency name, the essence of the British Empire’s national strength growth, does not have much effect.
Foreign Secretary George countered, “Economically, we may lose money, but not politically.
Judging by the performance of the French, who are gradually losing their power to check Austria, the continental balance is being upset.
The French’s agricultural program, which appears to be only to guarantee their own food security, is essentially a retaliatory action against Austria as well.
If we follow suit, the international food market will shrink by half. As a result, countries that rely on food exports will be hit hard.
As the world’s largest exporter of agricultural products, Austria will be the first to bear the brunt, which will help balance the power contrast between France and Austria.”
Suppressing whoever is strong has been the British government’s unchanging foreign policy for centuries, and now it’s Austria’s turn.
The more issues taken into consideration, the harder it was for Prime Minister Gladstone to make a decision. This is not just a question of money, but also involves the British government’s European political changes.
After a moment’s effort of hesitation, Gladstone asked, “What about the reaction of the Russians, has the Foreign Office considered it?”
This is not a question of suppressing one, but at the same time in the suppression of two big countries, Russia and Austria a group, in the world island is an invincible combination.
In case of pushing, people use the war to divert the crisis, regardless of the direct attack on India, that would be a lot of fun.
Foreign Minister George shook his head: ”Russia and Austria alliance has continued for three generations, nearly a hundred years, the interests of the two countries have long been intertwined.
In order to break up this alliance, we also put in a lot of effort, but now the two countries are still standing together.
What about the diplomacy of the Habsburgs, just look up the history books. Franz was even the best of all the monarchs, and it was simply unrealistic to try to isolate Austria.
The Russian-Austrian alliance can’t be split up for a while. From the beginning of the Russians’ expansion into Central Asia, they have been our enemies, and it’s just as well to be offended.
It is possible that after the international food market shrinks, in order to compete for the market, Russia and Austria will also be divided because of the interests of the two countries to go their separate ways.
Even if this alliance becomes more solidified, the situation won’t be any worse than it is now.”
Threatening India?
By not taking action, Russo-Australia doesn’t threaten India? In George’s view, anyway, powers close to India were hidden dangers.
It can’t be helped that the maritime civilization has such a strong sense of crisis. Instead of facing a powerful Russo-Australia, it would be better to face a weakened Russo-Australia.
As long as Austria, the gold master, ran out of money, the poor Russians could not make waves. As for Austria, isn’t there still the French holding them back?
Although the economy of France is not great, but the fighting strength of the French army, everyone still has no doubt.
If not for the presence of such a big boss, the British would have been unable to sleep, and the current Austria can be much more bullish than the German II Empire of the same period in history.
After hesitating for a while, the politically astute Gladstone, or decided to kick the can down the road.
“Agricultural self-sufficiency program, involving tens of millions of pounds of input, just a few of us to make a decision, or too hasty.
The Ministry of Agriculture to prepare a pre-proposal, submitted to the Parliament for consideration, first listen to the views of MPs.”
……
(End of chapter)