Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 374 The Bay Area (Part Two)

On July 1, 1638, the early summer sun shone on the shimmering waters of Xinhua Bay (now Puget Sound), and the port of Xuanhan County (now Seattle) was bustling with people.

On this day, the Xuanhan branch of Xinhua First Shipyard was finally officially completed. The huge wooden factory sheds stretched along the coastline, and several flat-bottomed inland river boats under construction were docked in the brand-new dock. Workers were busy nailing planks onto a sailing ship whose skeleton had just been completed.

Lu Zhenzhong, the commissioner of the Xinhua Bay Expansion Area, wearing a dark blue uniform, stood on a temporary platform, looking at the bustling scene before him, his face showing undisguised satisfaction.

Standing beside him were Zhao Mingde, the general manager of the shipyard, Zhou Wenhuan, the county magistrate of Xuanhan County, and many other officials.

"Commissioner, once this shipyard is completed, the shipping capacity of the entire Xinhua Bay will definitely be greatly improved," Zhou Wenhuan said with a smile, pointing to the merchant ships unloading cargo in the distance. "You see, as the population of our Xinhua Bay colony increases day by day, the transportation of goods to and from the area is also growing rapidly. In just the last few months, the amount of grain, ironware, hardware and other manufactured goods transported from Qiming Island has increased by 50% compared to previous years."

Lu Zhenzhong nodded, his gaze sweeping over the several newly built factories near the port: "Indeed, once the shipyard opens, industries such as timber processing, hardware manufacturing, sail rope processing, and wooden barrel production also flourish. I heard that a new textile factory recently opened in the county?"

“Yes, Commissioner!” Zhou Wenhuan replied excitedly. “The machines were custom-made in Shixing City. Whether it’s spinning or weaving, the efficiency is more than ten times that of manual labor. As for the raw materials, they are wool and cotton imported from Mexico. Although the initial output is not large, it is still a good start.”

"In addition to the numerous industries already existing in the county, such as grain processing plants, fish processing plants, paper mills, pottery factories, salt factories, and wineries, Xuanhan is no longer just an agricultural settlement; it's practically a small industrial city!"

At this moment, Zhao Mingde, the general manager of the shipyard, interjected: "Commissioner, although our shipyard can only build some small-tonnage ships at present, the flat-bottomed inland waterway boats we build can go deep inland along the rivers within the Xinhua Bay settlement area, and some small sailing ships can also trade along the coast. In the future, it will be much more convenient to transport immigrants or goods."

Lu Zhenzhong nodded in satisfaction: "Good! With ships, our colonization can advance inland along the river more quickly. By the way, I heard that your shipyard has brought in quite a few skilled craftsmen from Qiming Island headquarters? Have their accommodations and families been properly arranged?"

“That’s fine,” Zhao Mingde replied. “The shipbuilding orders on Qiming Island are already full, and many craftsmen are willing to come to Xuanhan to seek development. We offer good wages and provide room and board, so they are naturally happy to accept.”

"As for the arrangements for our residence and family, Xuanhan County has provided us with many conveniences and has taken good care of them. On behalf of the hundreds of craftsmen in the shipyard, I would like to thank the Xinhua Bay Colonization Area Government for its care, and even more so, thank you all for your concern."

Just then, a cheer came from afar.

Everyone turned to look and saw that the workers were working together to push a newly built flat-bottomed boat into the water.

The boat floated steadily on the water, drawing cheers from the onlookers.

Upon seeing this, Lü Zhenzhong laughed loudly, "Excellent! The completion of the shipyard today is not only a grand event for the Xinhua Bay Colonization Area, but also a crucial step for Xuanhan County towards prosperity. From now on, our ships will not only carry people and goods, but also carry the hopes and glory of Xinhua to even more distant places!"

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience; the faces of the craftsmen, merchants, and settlers were all filled with anticipation for the future.

"Timber processing plants supply ship materials, machine workshops make ship nails and anchors, and cotton mills and flax mills can provide canvas for sails, which can form a certain production chain, thereby driving the entire local economy." On the carriage back to the city, Lü Zhenzhong said with great satisfaction, "In addition, the establishment of shipyards and their subsequent expansion will inevitably recruit a large number of craftsmen and apprentices, which will also attract merchants and farmers to move in."

“Now, the population of Xuanhan County has exceeded one thousand. Although there are still not many industrial and mining enterprises, they have already taken shape and become the most core industrial and commercial center in the colonization area. Therefore, Xuanhan should act as the driving force for the development of Xinhua Bay, driving the development and progress of the entire region.” “Yes, Commissioner.” Zhou Wenhuan nodded in response, but a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes.

What is an engine?

"To revitalize the local economy, we must adhere to the principle of prioritizing commerce and trade and leading with industry. To give an analogy, it's like opening a large restaurant. It's not enough to just have a chef cooking (agriculture); you also need waiters to serve customers (commerce) and a kitchen to produce pots and pans (industry)."

"People need to eat and wear clothes, and workshops need tools. These needs are the business opportunities we need to seize. For example, if someone wants to eat braised pork, we not only need to raise pigs (to ensure the raw materials), but also open butcher shops and restaurants to make the braised pork delicious so that people are willing to spend money to eat it."

"As our workshops grow in number and produce more and better products, the market will naturally become more lively. But behind this, a stable social and production order is indispensable. Local officials must act as vigilant watchmen, ensuring that workshops can produce with peace of mind and that merchants can trade with confidence."

"With a favorable environment, factory expansion, infrastructure improvement, and industrial upgrading will snowball, attracting more people to invest and consume, and the region will become rich."

“We cannot be like the Ming Dynasty, Japan, and Korea, where the entire society believed that everyone’s way out was to make a living from the land, and that land was the only productive force. It’s like a cake of a fixed size; if you take a bigger bite, I take a smaller bite. This is a zero-sum game. This is an extremely wrong idea and a distortion of market concepts.”

"Don't think that just because Xinhua has occupied a large area of ​​territory on the west coast of the New Continent in just over ten years, and there are countless 'unclaimed territories' waiting for us to conquer in the even more vast inland areas, that the land is inexhaustible and can forever accommodate new immigrants and spontaneous population growth."

"You have to understand that although land is very valuable, it is always finite, and its output has an upper limit that people cannot break through for a long time. However, with the development of industry, the gradual upgrading of industries, and the continuous iteration of technology, the speed of development will grow exponentially, and the expansion of wealth will also expand rapidly."

"Industry and commerce are like dough that can expand, making more and better pastries. If you grow grain on the land, even if the harvest is good, you might only get ten bushels this year, and at most twelve bushels next year. But industry is different. One textile machine can do the work of ten female workers, and the money earned can be several times more. That's the difference."

"Well, we can use arithmetic to describe the growth of wealth. The growth brought by land is just simple addition, while the expansion of commerce and industry is multiplication, which creates wealth at a speed far beyond people's imagination."

"Therefore, when developing the local economy, in addition to paying attention to the sustainable output of land and food, we should also attach great importance to the development of industry and commerce."

“The more concentrated the commercial activities in a region, the more developed its economy and the wealthier its people tend to be. Conversely, regions that dislike or restrict commerce are often economically stagnant and lifeless. The Jiangnan region of the Ming Dynasty, the Netherlands and Venice in Europe are all places where commerce flourished and the people were prosperous.”

"I've got it!" Although he didn't understand many of the words the commissioner used, Zhou Wenhuan understood the general meaning and quickly nodded in agreement.

“Looking back at thousands of years of historical evolution, there are only two ways to solve the overall contradiction between supply and demand in society.” Lü Zhenzhong held up two fingers. “One is to carry out land revolution, to seize the wealth from the rich and redistribute it to the poor, but this path is full of bloodshed and turmoil.”

"The other is a revolution in productivity, like what we are doing now, using new technologies, new machines, and new industries to create more wealth. In this way, the rich can earn more, but the poor also benefit, and everyone can reap the benefits from development."

"This is the path to lasting prosperity and stability!"
-
(End of this chapter)