Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 656 There are still experts!?
Two days later, related reports and analyses also crossed the ocean and were placed on the meeting table of British cabinet ministers in Whitehall, London.

The small conference room at the Prime Minister's residence was filled with smoke. Robert Gascoigne-Cecil, the third Marquess of Salisbury, sat at the head of the long table.

He held an expensive Havana cigar between his fingers, but didn't smoke it, letting it burn slowly. His brow was furrowed, and his expression was serious.

Also seated around the table were Chancellor of the Exchequer Charles Townsend, Trade Secretary William Heidi Coltman, and Postmaster General Henry Fawcett.

There's also George Ferguson-Wake, who had just stepped away from Irish affairs and had considerable influence over London's municipal development.

In front of each person were several newspapers, including American and British ones, as well as a summary translation of Le Figaro sent from Paris.

In London, media outlets have begun questioning whether the government's decision to use direct current (DC) for future public lighting systems is wise.

The construction plan for the Niagara Falls hydroelectric power station, in particular, shocked everyone in Britain who was interested in electricity technology.

As expected, on the next parliamentary inquiry day, cabinet members will once again find themselves in the predicament of being bombarded by those demanding members of parliament.

It's important to understand that London's Metropolitan Engineering Council, constrained by budget and personnel pressures, did not want to promote the electrification of streetlights and preferred to maintain the status quo.

It was through Thomas Edison's persistent lobbying that the Salisbury Cabinet decided to use London as a pilot city to gradually implement electrification reforms across the country.

Therefore, since this renovation budget was funded by the central government of the British Empire, it naturally became the focus of parliamentary questioning.

The Marquess of Salisbury finally spoke: "Gentlemen, our old friend Mr. Thomas Edison seems to be in quite a bit of trouble."

The root of the trouble, however, remained Lionel Sorel and his alternating current (AC) technology; Edison seemed poised for utter defeat in his country.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Townsend took a puff of his pipe and slowly exhaled smoke: "It seems? Your Excellency, I think it's not 'seems,' but a certainty."

On the New York Stock Exchange, Edison Electric's stock price fell for three consecutive days. Meanwhile, Niagara Falls hydroelectric power plant bonds were completely sold out!

That old fox Morgan has probably taken the right side again this time!

Trade Secretary Coltman tapped the table: “I don’t know much about the technical stuff. But that ‘pay-per-use’ meter sounds very reasonable.”

If accurate metering is truly possible, it would be a great thing for promoting electricity use, especially for small businesses and ordinary households.

"Aren't our British gas companies starting to try using more precise metering methods?"

Postmaster General Fawcett was more cautious: "The merits of the technology need more time to be evaluated, and it is too early to draw conclusions."

However, it's undeniable that Sorel's open-sourcing of its patents makes it incredibly attractive to any newcomer to the power industry.

Ferguson-Wake scoffed: "The premise of appeal is that it's really better and safer! Have you all forgotten Edison's demonstration in London last year?"

Alternating current can kill an elephant instantly! How can such a thing be so easily installed in every household? It's practically playing with the lives of the empire's citizens!

Direct current, though… well, might be a bit more expensive, but Mr. Edison guaranteed its safety and reliability. Safety, gentlemen, that's the most important thing!

His words silenced the meeting room, but no one really considered "security" as the focus of the discussion; all they needed was a reason to convince the parliament.

The Marquess of Salisbury flicked his cigar ash: “You’re quite right, security is indeed important. However, the focus of our discussion today is not technical security.”

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone present: "But, based on the interests of the Empire, should we adjust our previous power development strategy?"

Last year, the London municipality signed a contract with Edison's company, and construction of DC power plants in various boroughs of London is underway, with a large amount of money already invested.

According to the plan, the bank will provide more than £2000 million in redevelopment funding to other regions over the next five years. This concerns everyone's future!

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that the Marquess of Salisbury had finally gotten to the heart of the matter.

Everyone in this room—including the Marquess of Salisbury himself, their families, or close political allies—

All of them have intricate connections with the construction of the London DC power plant.

Some people hold shares in the relevant construction companies; some have family banks involved in financing; some have had their land expropriated and received promises of compensation…

Some people were more naive and simply accepted a small amount of "consulting fees" and "advisor allowances" from Edison or the project contractors.

In order to take over London, Edison has devoted tremendous energy and resources to political lobbying and securing interests over the past three years.

These cabinet ministers were the ones he bound most tightly.

Now, are we to expect them to reject projects that affect their own interests just because of some rumors about "new technologies" and "new ideas"? Absolutely not!

However, as senior cabinet members of the British Empire, they could not openly say, "Because we have invested money in the DC power project, we must continue."

They need a high-sounding reason, and they need to persuade the parliament with "national interests" and "public welfare".

Chancellor of the Exchequer Townsend was the first to point out: "Your Excellency, policy needs to be consistent and stable, and the London power plan was approved after numerous debates in Parliament."

Arbitrary changes would not only result in the complete loss of initial investments, but also damage the government's credibility and undermine investors' confidence in the empire's major infrastructure projects.

Once confidence is lost, we will encounter difficulties in building railways, ports, and bridges in the future. The prosperity of an empire must be built on stable expectations.

Trade Secretary Coltman immediately followed up: "Yes. Moreover, the DC system is mature and reliable, and has been successfully operating in New York and London for two and a half years."

Choosing mature technology is a responsible approach to taxpayers. Alternating current sounds appealing, but we cannot use the heart of the empire as Sorel's testing ground.” Ferguson-Wake was even more blunt: “How can our British Empire hand over its energy lifeline to a Frenchman and an Austrian?”
Mr. Edison is a reliable partner with a long-standing cooperative relationship with the Empire! The Empire should support reliable partners, not be misled by sweet talk!

Postmaster General Fawcett also understood at this moment that he had to submit to the "big picture": "Temporarily changing the technical solution would indeed cause huge chaos and cost overruns."

The land and pipeline designs for power plants in various boroughs of London were all planned according to the DC power system. Completely demolishing and rebuilding from scratch would be impractical in terms of time.

The public is looking forward to brighter streets, and we cannot allow the project to be delayed indefinitely.

The Marquess of Salisbury listened to everyone's remarks with a serious expression and a slightly furrowed brow, as if he were deep in thought.

But in his mind, the thinking had already ended. Everyone present was an "expert," and the "reasons" they gave were sufficient and "noble" enough.

Finally, he slowly began to conclude: "Gentlemen, your opinions are very pertinent and are entirely based on careful consideration from the perspective of the imperial interests!"

"Policy continuity and stability are of paramount importance. We cannot change policies frequently and damage the government's credibility."

"Choosing proven and mature technologies demonstrates a responsible attitude towards the safety of Londoners' lives and property. Safety is always our top priority."

"Maintaining relationships with reliable business partners and ensuring the autonomy of the Empire's strategic industries, preventing them from being swayed by competitors, are principles of diplomacy and commerce."

"Ensuring the timely delivery of major municipal projects and fulfilling promises to the people is the responsibility of this cabinet."

With each sentence he spoke, someone nodded slightly in agreement. The Marquess of Salisbury, as the First Chancellor of the Exchequer, held the final say.

As long as he's willing to take on this "responsibility," then everyone's interests won't be harmed. Being spat on in the face by a congressman won't be so hard to accept.

The Marquess of Salisbury ultimately decided: "Based on the above considerations, I believe that London's electric lighting plan should proceed as originally planned."

"agree."

"I second that."

"I fully support the Marquis's decision."

"That's how it should be."

Everyone expressed their opinions, their tone both relaxed and firm, as if they had just engaged in a serious and noble strategic debate concerning the future of the empire.

Moreover, the decision they ultimately made was both wise and selfless.

As the meeting was about to end, the ministers rose to leave, their faces bearing knowing smiles.

No one mentioned the New York reports anymore, no one talked about the advantages of alternating current or the prospects of electricity meters, as if it were just irrelevant noise from a distant ocean.

But the Marquess of Salisbury didn't finish speaking. He raised his hand to indicate that the meeting wasn't over yet, and the crowd sat down again, somewhat taken aback.

"Given that alternating current does indeed demonstrate some 'technological advantages' in certain aspects, I have another suggestion—"

He paused deliberately, glanced around at the crowd, and seeing the confused faces, couldn't help but smile smugly:

"We should further increase our investment in direct current (DC) technology, catch up with alternating current (AC) technology, and make up for our shortcomings. Only in this way can we give the empire a bright future!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the other ministers' minds went blank, as if their skulls had been opened and a gust of fresh air had rushed into their brains.

All those high-sounding reasons were just a pretext for protecting the interests they had already gained or were about to gain.

But the Marquess of Salisbury's words just now created a new benefit out of thin air—that's what makes a master!

"Increase investment"—how much? Five million pounds? Ten million pounds? Or another twenty million pounds?

The reason the lawmakers are angry is simply because they weren't seated at the table in the last round of profit distribution! Now that the banquet is reopening, I believe no one wants to be the public enemy.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Charles Townsend was the quickest to react: "Yes! A temporary budget should be submitted immediately to speed up the construction of power plants and increase investment in technology."

George Ferguson-Wake quickly chimed in: "We can't always be passive in Parliament. We need to show those short-sighted members what true foresight looks like!"

Everyone else excitedly agreed, since no one would complain about not having enough pounds in their pockets.

The Marquess of Salisbury nodded with satisfaction: “This morning I received a telegram—” he said, pulling a piece of paper from his pocket.

"Mr. Thomas Edison will arrive in London in a week to inspect the progress of the power plant construction and bring his latest experimental motor..."

At this point, he smiled and said, "The Empire has done so much for Mr. Edison; he should be able to feel the Empire's sincerity, right?"

Trade Secretary Coltman smiled and said, "If he didn't feel it, that would be neither gentlemanly nor dignified..."

Everyone else had also realized this—from now on, Thomas Edison's direct current only had the British Empire as an option.

Its fate is no longer in the hands of that arrogant American, but in the hands of the person sitting in this conference room today.

Then everyone at the long table laughed, a sinister laugh...

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(End of this chapter)