Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

While William IV was discussing in his Privy Council how the Netherlands could stop the possible unrest among the African natives, there was also a country in the Americas that was discussing them, and could even be said to be "stealing from others."

This country is the Commonwealth of America.

Johnson Andrew is discussing the situation of the Commonwealth of America with his Secretary of State Randy Blish and Secretary of the Treasury James.

This time Secretary of State Randy Bleich has just returned from Sydney in the Far East of the Netherlands, where he just attended the Foreign Secretary-level meeting of the Deep Blue Pacific Partnership hosted by the Netherlands.

In addition to the foreign ministers of the Netherlands and the Commonwealth of America, the meeting was attended by the foreign ministers (foreign ministers) of Spain, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico and other member states. In addition, the Netherlands also invited the organization’s core partner, Tsarist Russia. The foreign ministers of the Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire attended the meeting.

“The countries discussed maintaining a rules-based order in the Pacific, which mainly expressed plans for naval exercises hosted by each country on a rotating basis in the region.

Countries will also hold economic and trade consultation meetings in the region, initially at the level of deputy minister of industry and commerce, and later promoted to the level of minister.

The countries have also discussed establishing financial cooperation. Since the current trade between the countries has greatly increased with the Kingdom of the Netherlands as the center, accounting for most of the cases, the countries currently agree to use the Dutch guilder for trade in the Pacific. Next, there may be talks with the finance minister to discuss Negotiations will be held on issues such as currency exchange among various countries. But progress may be slow for now.

We have also discussed the issue of import and export tariff reductions in Sydney. At present, industrial and agricultural powers such as the Netherlands and the United States are in favor of it, but Spain is somewhat opposed to it. However, with the support of the Netherlands, Spain’s opposition seems to have become smaller. Already."

Randy Bleish began the reporting work.

President Andrew: "What do you think of the issues discussed by this organization, James?"

Finance Minister James: "We are all of Dutch origin. Emotionally speaking, I also very much agree with the Dutch approach. However, since I am currently holding the position of Minister of Finance of the Commonwealth of America, I have doubts about it."

Andrew: "What concerns?"

Blish: "?"

James: "If the Netherlands allows other countries to use the Dutch guilder, what is the appropriate exchange rate? This is what we should discuss most. Fortunately, we don't know yet whether this is a benefit or a disadvantage to the United States. Therefore, I still agree that gold is the most suitable measure, because gold has the largest circulation, followed by silver, and metal currency may be more attractive than the Dutch guilder.”

Andrew: "That's good. I think this is where countries have doubts."

Blanc nodded in agreement.

James followed: "There is also a tax reduction plan. Spain is right to worry. Spain's current industrial economy is not considered top in Europe. If taxes are reduced too much compared to the Anglo-Prussian law, it will do too much harm to Spain's domestic industrial manufacturing." "

Blaish: "This is also the reason for Spain's dissatisfaction"

Andrew: "Why did Spain compromise again in the end?"

Blaish looked at James's equally curious look and said: "Because the Netherlands has expressed its intention to provide 10 million Dutch guilders (£400,000-2 million US dollars) as an aid fund for this project to help countries provide industrial manufacturing."

James: "Is the Netherlands that good?"

Andrew also looked at Blish suspiciously.

Blaish: "There are restrictions. The projects the Netherlands requires assistance must be in the Pacific region."

Andrew showed a true expression, "Sure enough, there is no free lunch in the world."

President Andrew moved back home and asked, "What do we need to do in the present process of reconstruction in the South after the Civil War?"

Finance Minister James: "?"

Secretary of State Brans: “At this point, I think we should learn from the Netherlands”

Andrew, James: "?"

Secretary of State Bleish: "In the Dutch Far East and Africa, tenancy became the main mode of production for the Dutch to govern the agricultural economy of the Far East and African territories, which were dominated by large plantations before British rule (referring to Australia). land, but lost slaves as labor in the process, and as the Netherlands changed its governance, the situation improved."

Finance Minister James: "I have heard about this. It is said that the UK is currently studying it and is preparing to launch it in Canada."

Bleish: "Yes, although our American Confederate States did not completely take back the South, there are a large number of plantations in Tennessee and the western states. During President Lincoln's time, he demanded the removal of slaves and the liberation of black slaves. , thus losing the labor force of slaves. The war's large-scale damage to the economies of the west and south left planters with a lack of funds to hire labor.

At the same time, coupled with the fact that slaves were unable to purchase production funds and materials after gaining ginseng freedom, let alone obtain land, liberated slaves had no way to become self-reliant or become wage workers. If this goes on for a long time, it will cause great harm to society. riot"

He said: "Therefore, we can learn from the Netherlands and encourage the large planters in America to divide their land into small pieces and rent them to black people or poor white people when they are unable to hire labor. According to the Dutch, Yes, the Netherlands calls it tenancy."

Andrew: "How many years has this tenancy system been going on in the Netherlands?"

Blaish: "It is said that it started in 1865 and is currently being practiced in the Far East and Africa. It is said that the local indigenous people have become many small farmers."

"No wonder the natives in the Netherlands rarely make trouble. Once the tenancy system came out, it stabilized the society." James asked curiously about the specific operation of the tenancy system in the Netherlands.

"The tenancy system can be roughly divided into cash tenancy system and grain tenancy system. The specific form is more complicated. Tenants provide their own production materials, rent the land from the landowner, and pay cash or harvest during the autumn harvest. Part of it is used as land rent, which is called cash tenancy.”

James: “Will tenant farmers in this way be exploited by commercial capital in disguise?”

Blaish said: "Exploitation is certain, but relatively speaking, independence is strong. In the Netherlands, they are called tenant farmers. This group of people only accounts for a small part of the tenant system and does not dominant”

Andrew asked curiously: "Is the grain sharecropping system the big one?"

Bleish: "Yes, the grain tenancy system is the main Dutch agricultural production method. It is not only in the Far East and Africa, but it is also fed back to the European mainland of the Netherlands. Many native Europeans have also begun to use this method to participate in the white people's participation in the Netherlands." planted by the poor.”

James: "The Netherlands has also implemented it. It seems that the method should be good."

Andrew asked: "How to implement the grain tenancy system?"

Bleish: "Sharecropping and sharecropping are two forms of grain sharecropping.

In the Far East of the Netherlands and Africa, most of the indigenous people in these places were sharecroppers. They only owned a small part of the production materials such as cotton seeds and farm tools, and no land during the harvest. They need to pay 1/4 or 1/3 of the entire harvest as land rent, and usually pay it in kind. Farmers under the sharecropping system often own nothing. All the production materials and tools they use are provided by the landowner, and then they are paid according to the land ownership. At the request of farmers, landowners paid half of their harvests 2/3 as rent, and indigenous farmers accounted for more than 80% of the crops in the Far East and Africa of the Netherlands. "

Andrew and James couldn't help but frown and said, "Will this cause the gap between the rich and the poor among the indigenous people to become wider and wider?"

Blaish smiled bitterly and said: "There is nothing we can do about it. In Europe, no one will think this is wrong, right? White people are the protagonists of this world. If we don't do this, the Tolbeck government will become the Dutch white people to attack." It will also make the Netherlands an alternative in the white world of Europe. In that case, the Netherlands will face isolation."

President Andrew and Finance Minister James were silent after hearing this. White people are the most powerful group in the world. If the interests of white people are not safeguarded, then any European government will face the fate of being eliminated. No one in the Dutch government will Thinking that they would be a bunch of fools, Holland's approach was quite agreeable to a few people.

Andre finally gritted his teeth and said firmly: "Just follow the Dutch approach and implement it in the southern and western parts of the Federal Republic of America."

James asked: "Will this make those Confederate guys follow suit?"

In Amsterdam, the Netherlands, William IV was discussing "sharecropping and crop mortgages" with members of the Privy Council.

"The grain sharecroppers were exploited at all levels by loan sharks, local Dutch bankers and large planters. The local bankers gave money to the large planters, who then supplied production and living materials on credit. The tenant farmers gave high-li-l loans. The large planters sold these items at high prices, but then lowered the prices when the farmers' harvest was finally calculated."

William IV sneered: "Once the tenants are unable to repay, the new principal becomes the original principal plus all interest. Therefore, for the tenants, accepting payment for goods is a high-risk approach, and it is easy to get into trouble." Trapped in it, debts piled high. At the same time, major plantation owners encouraged provincial governments to introduce laws that would make it a crime for tenants to break their contracts, so as to tie tenants to the land.

Do the white Dutch dare to be dissatisfied? Do you still have the nerve to express your dissatisfaction like this? The government has already made policies that are beneficial to them. If it is still not satisfied, does it still want to force the indigenous people to rebel? If the Netherlands had a 'friendly' policy towards the liberation of the indigenous people like former President Lincoln of America, would the indigenous people directly overthrow the Dutch government's rule there? Are those all pig heads?

You go back and tell them, don’t tell me anything about being like the UK. The Netherlands is not the UK. If anyone likes the UK, get out of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. "