Mei Man: I drew Superman during the Great Depression

Chapter 183 Messenger Machine Factory
"Sorry, Mr. Lange Voorster, the Courier-Journal has no intention of purchasing a new rotary press at the moment."

After a little thought in his mind, Ke Lin already understood Lange's purpose this time - the four-color double-sided paper offset printing machine technology in his hands.

However, on the surface, he still showed a refusal attitude.

"No, Mr. Colin Looper, I'm not here to sell rotary presses."

From Colin's attitude, Lange could clearly perceive the meaning of evasion, but he still said unwillingly.

"The purpose of my visit this time is mainly to see with my own eyes the new printing technology you have mastered. If possible, I hope to cooperate with you."

In terms of negotiations, it is obviously unqualified for Lange to do so.

Because he was turning over all his hole cards to Colin. However, from a practical point of view, perhaps the reality forced Lange to do this.

After losing Manroland's agent status, he no longer had the confidence to bargain.

Once Colin is annoyed, or even the last possibility is lost, in this case, it is better to express one's position in a realistic manner, so as to gain a chance.

"Cooperation?"

Looking up at the expectant middle-aged man in front of him, Ke Lin did not soften his attitude because of the sincerity shown by the other party.

After all, in the era of the Great Depression, the streets were full of 'poor' people like Lange, including those unemployed who came to the newspaper to apply for jobs.

"Mr. Lange Vorst, I don't think there is anything worthy of cooperation with you. After all, as I said before, you lost the agency of the printing company not long ago. From a realistic point of view , At this time, you are just an unemployed person who can be seen everywhere, why should I risk failure to cooperate with you, so, give me a reason to persuade, Mr. Lange Vorst."

Faced with Colin's questioning, Lange took a deep breath. His identity as an unemployed person was indeed an unavoidable difficulty.

"You are right, Mr. Colin Luper."

At this moment, Lange seemed to have returned to the beginning, and he gave up his job as a maintenance worker in the printing factory to fight for the agency status of Manroland.

"My current status is indeed just that of an unemployed person. However, as I said before, I have not been out of Manroland's agency status for a long time. In fact, even the workers don't know about my loss of agency rights. This also means that I still have a group of workers who can work in my hands. They have worked in the printing industry for many years and have rich work experience."

"Currently, nearly one-third of the printing machines used by factories in New York City are produced by Manroland or its cooperative manufacturers. As the agent of Manroland in New York, I have worked with major printing factories I have had contact with them, and I know the production and operation of these printing factories clearly, and I am sure to persuade one tenth of them to replace their printing press equipment."

According to the current situation of the New York printing factory, one tenth is not a small number.

After all, during the Great Depression, most factories were trying to reduce production costs. For example, the Colin color rotary printing press was an idle machine in the printing factory.

Langer seemed to know that what he said alone could not persuade Ke Lin to hand over the four-color double-sided paper offset printing machine technology to him as an agent.

So he gritted his teeth and put forward another condition that was hard to refuse: "In addition to these, as long as Mr. Colin Luper can agree to my agency, I am willing to take only 3% of the sales commission for each printing machine. As long as you pay I work for the money."

The 3% sales commission is considered extremely low, no, it should be said to be a cheap price. Even in the agency agreement signed with Manroland before, Lange also got a 7% commission, which is also From the side, we can see the reality of Lange's embarrassment.

A 3% sales commission is indeed an exciting condition.

After all, it's one thing to make printing presses and quite another to sell them.

Lange's 3% sales commission, after a while, is equivalent to part-time work in the profit of the entire printing press.

If Ke Lin was a slightly greedy capitalist, he might have already agreed to the conditions proposed by the other party. After all, even if such a cheap contract fails, it won't affect him too much.

"No, I'll give you a 5% sales commission."

However, he unexpectedly rejected Lange's request, and even raised the other party's sales percentage.

Hearing what Ke Lin said, Lange looked at the other party in disbelief. He never expected that in this era, there would be people willing to pay more.

Under Lange's surprised gaze, Colin slowly said: "Not only can I give you a 5% commission on basic sales, but even every time you sell a printing machine in the future, I will give you a commission of 1%. The unit is monthly, and there is no commission limit."

"1% commission for each unit?!"

In the newspaper office, Lange's exclamation sounded.

This was completely different from what he had expected. At first, he just thought that he could get the agency rights of the printing press in Colin's hands. Even with a low sales commission, he could at least guarantee his survival in the Great Depression.

However, the conditions given by Colin were not just for him to live.

It made him live better in the Great Depression, even better than before the Great Depression happened.

According to Lange's estimation, there are roughly six or seven printing factories that he can persuade to update the printing machinery in a short period of time. If the 5% basic sales commission guaranteed by Ke Lin is added, the total commission is 13%. The commission is even much higher than the agency rights he signed with Manroland before.

Thinking that he could get a 13% sales commission in one order, Lange's breathing became a little short.

Taking a deep breath and trying to suppress his excitement, Lange looked at Colin in front of him, and asked in disbelief: "Mr. Colin Luper, is everything you said true? Really? 1% commission for each unit?"

"It's true."

Ke Lin has no intention of deceiving Langer in this regard, and commission incentives are also a very common marketing method in later generations.

The purpose is to mobilize the enthusiasm of workers and pay attention to those who can do more work.

Although, on the surface, Ke Lin did not set a limit on this commission, but in fact it is a limit in units of three months, and printing machines are different from other sales products. Except for printing houses and newspapers, ordinary people do not Will buy such a large machine, which also means that the sales group of the machine is limited.

Moreover, once a new type of printing machine is purchased, the factory will not update and replace the equipment for a long time to come.

Unless, Lange can persuade the factory to change to a new printing machine every once in a while.

If Lange can do this, Colin doesn't mind giving him more sales commissions. Anyway, no matter from which angle he stands, he will be the one who earns the last money. The result is just that he earns more and earns less.

After confirming the cooperation with Colin, Lange left the newspaper office full of expectations.

On the other hand, Ke Lin also completed the patent application for four-color double-sided paper offset printing machine technology, and found a suitable factory building near Sunset Park in Brooklyn.

The Great Depression led to the closure of a large number of bank factories. Therefore, Colin did not build his own machinery factory from scratch.

He is not a rich man like Howard Hughes, who pursues perfection in everything.

For Ke Lin, everything can be used as long as it is available. After all, the cost of building a factory is obviously much more expensive than buying a closed factory. The price of the latter is often only half or even a third of the former. Even in this era of the Great Depression, he can still buy after making sufficient choices.

Because there are too many closed factories.

The Messenger Machine Works was officially established with the purchase of the Brooklyn Machine Works.

Langer took the initiative to take over the production and establishment of the factory. Before he became an agent of Manroland, he worked as a maintenance worker in a printing machine factory. Printing machinery factory worker.

At the same time, stimulated by the sales contract, Lange was more eager than Ke Lin, the factory owner, to look forward to the day when the machinery factory would officially go online and produce four-color double-sided paper offset printing machines.

……

With Lange, a veteran with rich experience in printing machines, on site to control the work, the factory owner Ke Lin's work was much easier.

West 52nd Street, inside the 21st restaurant.

From the machine shop in Brooklyn, Colin came to 21 restaurant.

"Congratulations, Mr. Roosevelt."

After greeting the figure in the wheelchair, Colin immediately congratulated Roosevelt.

At present, a consensus has basically been formed within the Democratic Party. Roosevelt defeated his rival in the party, Al Smith, and became the next nominee for the Democratic Party's general election.

"Thank you."

He nodded to Colin, but the expression on Roosevelt's face did not show much joy.

Although he successfully won the party's election, Roosevelt's situation at this time was not too optimistic. Al Smith of the Democratic Party refused to support his election, which also led to a small part of the party's split. The Republican Party has launched its electoral machine, and the Tammany Association has even begun electoral mobilization.

At the same time, on the other hand, Roosevelt was not too sure about the results of his presidential election.

After all, no matter how bad Hoover is, it is the current president who holds the advantage of governing.

Roosevelt has already received the news that the Republican Party is currently planning to launch a negative campaign against this presidential election, and then portray Roosevelt as a weak existence, so that voters believe that even if Roosevelt is elected, the situation of the Great Depression will not be changed, making Voters lost hope that Hoover would continue to be re-elected.

Compared with the worried attitude shown by Roosevelt, Colin, as a latecomer, is obviously not worried about this.

After all, judging from what his later generations know, Roosevelt will not only win this general election, but even a big victory.

Hoover's unpopularity is far beyond the imagination of the Republican Party. All voters' anger about the Great Depression will be vented on Hoover with the election.

"Thank you, Mr. Roosevelt, for your help regarding the previous patent."

At the dining table, Colin put a piece of steak into his mouth, looked at Roosevelt, who was a little absent-minded, and then changed the subject.

If it weren't for Roosevelt's help, perhaps the patent that Colin applied for hadn't come out so early.

"I just did what I was supposed to do."

To this, Roosevelt's answer was spot on.

He really just did what he should do to speed up the entire patent review process a little bit.

At the dining table, Colin nodded noncommittally, took a sip of the juice at hand.

As the general election approached, Roosevelt became extremely careful about his daily itinerary to avoid being targeted by his opponents for his mistakes, which naturally included the implementation of the Prohibition Law.

"Currently, the Democratic Party has reached a basic consensus on the [-]th Amendment, and the vast majority of party members oppose the continuation of the bill..."

He also took a sip of the juice, and Roosevelt revealed the situation of "Prohibition" to Colin.

Obviously, Prohibition will become one of the main axes of Roosevelt's next campaign.

"Looking forward to the day when the bill is repealed. At that time, I will definitely invite you, Mr. Roosevelt, to have a glass of wine."

"I'm also looking forward to that day."

Accepting Colin's blessing, Roosevelt drank the juice in the glass, and the waiter at the side also stepped forward to refill the glass with juice.

"Perhaps Mr. Roosevelt could consider using the Great Depression as a weapon."

On the other side, after finishing the last piece of steak on the plate, Colin put down the knife and fork in his hand, wiped the sauce on his mouth, and then opened his mouth to make a proposal.

"Great depression, arms?"

Nodding his head, under the gaze of Roosevelt, Colin slowly explained: "That's right, the Great Depression happened during Hoover's administration. The mention of the Great Depression deepened the memory of voters, and even convinced voters that once Hoover was re-elected, the Great Depression would happen again."

"Of course, image differentiation is also very important. If Hoover was the shaper of the Great Depression, then you are the revitalizer of the economy and the leader who brought the country out of the Great Depression. You can propose a 'New Deal' ’ to persuade voters to choose between the two, and I believe that the masses who suffered through the Great Depression would never want to live like that again.”

In the final analysis, elections are all about manipulating the emotions of voters.

In this regard, Ke Lin obviously has a wealth of experience, not only because he has seen many related elections in later generations, but also because the process of obtaining [faith] is also a kind of emotional manipulation in a certain way.

(End of this chapter)