I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 387 Chips and Investment

Joseph waved his hand with great authority: “Start by teaching farmers how to farm more efficiently.

"We provide them with livestock, seeds, farm tools, fertilizers. You can imagine how big a business this will be, considering how many farmers there are in the country.

"At the same time, the company can also organize craftsmen to build water conservancy projects for farmers and rent irrigation machinery. There is no need to worry about money, as the Agricultural Bank will gather a large number of farmers and sign collective loan agreements with them.

"When the grain harvest comes, the company will buy the surplus grain from farmers and transport it on a large scale to more profitable markets for sale. The huge transportation volume will greatly reduce transportation costs. Now many big cities have wooden tracks, which will make transportation even cheaper.

“I call it – Agricultural Services Consulting.

"Compared to collecting the small amount of annual tribute that farmers pay reluctantly, such a company will gain greater profits!"

The nobles present obviously did not expect this to work, and immediately started talking to each other. The capitalist nobles that Mirabeau had already planted in the crowd immediately played the role of interpreter, making the old nobles around nod their heads repeatedly.

However, someone soon raised doubts: "Your Highness, although the company you are talking about has a very good prospect, it will also require a huge investment, which is simply not something we can afford."

"You are right." Joseph said loudly, "So, His Majesty the King has established a 'King's Fund', which cooperates with the French Agricultural Bank to invest in agricultural service consulting companies."

He opened his arms to the nobles present: "And you, just spend a little money to subscribe to the fund, and you can enjoy the continuous dividends in the future. Of course, you can also raise funds on your own and set up an independent company.

“As for farming techniques and promoting them to farmers, the church will provide support to the companies.”

Archbishop Beaumont on the side immediately touched his chest and gestured: "The church will fully cooperate."

Joseph continued: “In terms of water conservancy, the King’s Fund signed a large-scale purchase agreement with the Steam Engine Company, obtaining equipment such as pumps and mill drives at the lowest price.

“In terms of sales, the Strategic Grain Depot will sign a supply agreement with the King’s Fund and can even pay part of the freight in advance.

"I can assure you that the benefits will be several or even dozens of times more than your annual tribute!"

The eyes of the nobles in front of the Petit Trianon suddenly lit up. This is definitely a good business! In the past, they could only collect annual tribute from tenant farmers, but this agricultural service consulting company can even make money from self-employed farmers.

Moreover, with the King's Fund and the Church responsible for managing the company, he could still live in the Palace of Versailles as before, without having to worry about anything and just collect dividends every year.

Immediately, servants who had been prepared came with piles of fund subscription applications and distributed them to the nobles present.

Joseph continued, "In addition to receiving generous dividends, you will no longer have to endure the cold stares of the farmers, and will no longer be called 'vampires' by them behind your back. There will no longer be liberals pointing fingers at your lives, saying things like 'extravagance' or 'degeneration' - your money is earned through business, and every penny you spend is justified!"

Now even more nobles were moved.

Although these nobles clung to their feudal privileges for the sake of their own interests, in this era when the Enlightenment was influencing all of Europe, they subconsciously felt that they were "parasites" and "mistakes left over from history."

Now that there is an opportunity to continue to live a comfortable life with their family through "business", they are naturally happy to participate. When they looked down at the King's Fund subscription application form in their hands, they saw that the lowest level only required 200 livres, and they were relieved immediately. Most of these nobles are not rich, and maintaining the dignity of aristocrats requires a lot of expenses. Many people are worried that they can't afford to buy thousands of livres.

After carefully reading the "Operation Instructions for the Agricultural Service Consulting Company" distributed along with the application, many nobles wrote down the subscription amount on the application and then stamped it with their own private seals.

Joseph looked at the people gathering towards the fund staff and a smile appeared on his face.

Who said that we must provide benefits to the nobles in order to get them to accept the land redemption plan? Not only will I not provide benefits, but I will also collect a sum of start-up funds for agricultural reform from the nobles!

As for whether this kind of agricultural service company will harm the interests of farmers after it becomes bigger?

It doesn't exist. Not to mention that most of the nobles are just waiting for dividends and will not be involved in the operation of the company at all, which is equivalent to all agricultural service companies being controlled by the royal family. Even if some nobles raise funds and set up companies on their own, they can only operate normally under the framework of the King's Fund.

Whether it's a church delaying your composting, seed breeding, or something like that for a few weeks, or a strategic grain depot refusing to take your grain, private companies can be brought into immediate compliance.

Even in the worst case scenario, Joseph can use legislation to set maximum and minimum purchase prices to ensure farmers' basic livelihood.

Of course, the little money that these old nobles invested in the King's Fund was not enough to initiate nationwide agricultural reforms.

Joseph glanced at Mirabeau and others inconspicuously, and several of the most influential capitalist aristocrats immediately bowed respectfully in response.

The bulk of the King's Fund was raised by nearly a hundred capital aristocrats, plus a portion supplemented by the Agricultural Bank. Even without the subscription from the old aristocrats, there would be no gap in funds.

A nobleman beside Mirabeau tilted his head with a happy expression and whispered, "Honoré, how big of an estate are you planning to build this time? One thousand hectares?"

"Oh, not so much." Mirabeau smiled and waved his hand. "And you, my dear Francis?"

"About a thousand hectares. That's all I have. I heard Viscount Dlasco was going to buy five thousand hectares, and he's mortgaged his tanneries for that."

"That's a big deal." Mirabeau nodded, "But it's worthwhile to invest in the estate now. His Royal Highness the Dauphin's agricultural reform will begin soon, and there are great prospects in this area."

This is why the capital aristocracy is willing to invest heavily in the King's Fund.

In the land redemption plan formulated by Joseph, the provision that per capita purchase of land of more than 100 acres will receive high handling fees and requires half of the fee to be paid in one lump sum is actually the biggest benefit to the capital group.

The high cost basically eliminated the enthusiasm of ordinary people to purchase large amounts of land with loans. The old aristocrats lost their feudal rents and taxes and dared not make large investments at will. Only the capital aristocracy could take over large estates of hundreds of hectares.

Joseph was well aware that in this special era at the end of the 18th century, large-scale land annexation was beneficial to the development of industry.

This can also be used as a bargaining chip to exchange for the investment enthusiasm of the capital aristocracy.

(End of this chapter)