The wind blows from the South Sea

Chapter 151 Changes in the City

Marshal Feng Guohui stayed in Kairevan for two days, mainly inspecting the construction of military defense projects along the river and the military preparations of the Semarang Division. After putting forward some expectations for improvement, he left here by boat and headed to the base camp Surabaya.

It's mid-July

From Sumatra, news came that the Sultan of Aceh took advantage of the Dutch army's retreat and sent 26,000 troops into two groups to occupy five important cities around Palembang.

This formed a situation to encircle the Dutch troops remaining in Palembang, which made the Dutch colonial governor's house even worse.

When he received the good news, Feng Guohui had already returned to the Marshal's Mansion and burst out laughing.

The so-called enemy of the enemy is an ally, and the Nanyang Army will not just be passively beaten.

The Nanyang Military Government has already established reliable communication channels with the Sultan of Aceh. In the first half of this year, it successively delivered more than 6200 old-fashioned muskets and more than barrels of black powder to Sumatra to support its fight against the Dutch army.

Of course, this batch of arms had to be bought with real money and silver, and the Nanyang Army also sold them at a good price.

After the army's large-scale reloading, a mountain of French Republic Type-4 flintlocks piled up in the warehouse. Together with various captured old-fashioned smoothbore rifles, the number reached more than .

The 12 presses in the mint work around the clock and can produce more than 17 silver coins of various denominations every day, which are supplied to the entire Nanyang Military Government for economic circulation.

The second uncle Feng Zhaoliang, who is currently the director of the East Java Administrative Office, accompanied Marshal Feng Guohui to the mint to inspect the mint after having lunch together without disturbing anyone else.

Although these firearms are decades old, compared with the European colonial armies of the same era, their performance does not seem to lag behind, and there is still a lot of market space.

The West Cross Courtyard of the Marshal's Mansion

Fortunately, Nanyang Bank issued large-denomination bills, with face values ​​of ten yuan, twenty yuan, and fifty yuan. They can be used in large-value transactions, and change can be given at all retail stores.

After removing the burrs, these round coin blanks are sent to the press one by one, and through the cold pressing process, exquisite coin patterns are pressed out.

The U.S. dollars issued by the Bank of South Carolina cannot be used in New York State. Instead, pounds and francs circulate unimpeded and are proper hard currencies.

For example, the Chinese dynasty used silver taels, silver ingots, gold bars, copper coins and currencies officially issued by Britain, France, Russia, Prussia, the Netherlands and other countries. This did not include the U.S. dollar and low-quality copper and iron coins privately minted by Chinese businessmen.

At this point, a piece of exquisite silver is completed.

Feng Guohui saw workers feeding the silver plate into the rolling machine, cold-rolling it into thin plates of suitable thickness over and over again, and then punching out round coin blanks on the punch.

One dime silver coin: five silver coins and five bronze coins
Mixing and dissolving copper into silver coins can greatly enhance the rigidity of silver coins and avoid problems such as distortion, blurred patterns, and defects caused by pure silver coins that are too soft after long-term use. Exquisite silver coins can highlight their value.

Besides
Within the jurisdiction of the Nanyang Military Government, all other currencies were stopped from being used. Businessmen and residents could go to Nanyang Bank to exchange currency.

Mexican silver ingots obtained through trade are mixed with different proportions of copper to form silver plates as needed. The specific proportions are;

One silver coin: nine silver coins and one copper coin
Five-cent silver coin: seven silver coins and three bronze coins

After Feng Guohui came back, he came here to inspect as soon as possible. This mint plays a vital role in the economic system of the Nanyang Military Government.

this move
This consolidated the status of the banknotes issued by Nanyang Bank and was quickly accepted by the general public, forming a currency system in which banknotes and coins were mixed.

Even so, it is still difficult to fully meet daily needs.

Two cents silver coin: five silver coins and five bronze coins

This is because each state in the United States currently issues U.S. dollars in their own way, with confusing currency values ​​and limited usage areas.

Today's mint factories have added many steam machines, as well as lathe equipment such as punches and rolling machines. The mint workshops are dominated by female workers, and their work and life are isolated from the outside world.

This place was transformed into the mint of the Nanyang Military Government. Steam machinery drove various lathes to reciprocate, making a monotonous and continuous "click-click" sound.

Moreover, the south and north of the United States are now at odds with each other, like a powder keg about to be ignited. Of course, the Nanyang military government cannot accept this kind of U.S. dollar without any guarantee.

"Commander, the mint's production capacity will be expanded in the near future. I have arranged for people to renovate all the yards next door. It will be completed in about half a month. Putting all the machinery and equipment there will make the commander's mansion quieter. "Feng Zhaoliang stopped and said.

Marshal Feng Guohui reached out and picked up some newly minted silver coins, put them in his hands and looked at them carefully, and said while looking at them; "Okay, you can make arrangements for it. The recent transformation of Nanyang Bank into a bank requires a dedicated person to follow up and keep a close eye on it." a little."

"Please rest assured, Marshal, that Nanyang Bank's preparations have been in full swing, and relevant preparations have been done. We will try our best to make a smooth transition according to the Marshal's requirements and not trigger negative social reactions."

"Well, the quality of the silver coins is good, so keep it up." Feng Guohui dropped the shiny silver coins in his hand and walked forward with his hands behind his back.

Wherever they passed, workers stopped their work one after another, bent down and saluted as a sign of respect.

Feng Guohui responded calmly and quickly walked out of the workshop and came to the relatively quiet courtyard.

He stopped by a fruit tree, waited for Feng Zhaoliang to come up to him, and explained;
"The military government's work has initially been sorted out and on the right track. The next step is to improve the system and perform government functions as well as possible.

The tax bureau must collect taxes well and must collect all the taxes that are due. It must not apportion the taxes arbitrarily or unintentionally create a name to increase the burden on the people. It must collect taxes stipulated by the government and manage them well.

The General Police Administration maintains public order in cities and rural areas, creates a good social environment, does not pick up items on the road, does not close doors at night, and cracks down on illegal and criminal activities.

A police administration that can truly implement this is a qualified police administration.

Under the East Java Administrative Office, taxation and police administration are both important departments. A self-examination and self-correction mechanism must be established to deal with the bugs within the taxation bureau and the police headquarters, as well as some people who know the law and break the law.

When necessary, an independent prosecutor will file a complaint to form a check and balance of power between Parliament, the courts and the Executive Office. This is the core content of the British political system, the "separation of powers."

I hope that the military government can understand this administrative system thoroughly and not become a lame duck.

In terms of government work, more research must be done to create a relatively fair social business environment, which is crucial to regional economic development.

The development and growth of our Nanyang Army cannot be separated from the support of a profound economic foundation and the support of mainstream social groups, mainly Chinese. This is our foundation.

Therefore, in terms of civilizing barbarians and spreading advanced Chinese culture, we must continue to increase investment in education and subtly influence more people. "

Feng Zhaoliang listened respectfully and nodded frequently. When Feng Guohui finished speaking, he said resolutely, "Zhaoliang has kept all the commander's instructions in mind. He will definitely follow the commander's instructions to the letter. execution of the intention.

The first step is to further improve the internal self-examination and self-correction mechanisms of important agencies such as the tax police, clarify the dividing lines between responsibilities, rights, and interests, and severely punish those who dare to cross the red lines.

We continue to increase investment in education, achieving a school enrollment rate of over 90% for school-age children, and vigorously develop Chinese education in newly occupied areas to teach students to be loyal and patriotic to the army.

End of the first half of the year
The East Java Administrative Office will conduct a policy review, track the effectiveness of the implementation of new policies, make up for defects and shortcomings, and take measures to improve the administrative system.

Commander, do you think my thinking is correct? "

"Well, that's very good. Just follow this administrative approach and leave the rear affairs to you. I can rest assured." Feng Guohui praised him smoothly.

After hearing this, Feng Zhaoliang felt as if he had eaten ginseng fruit. All 36000 pores in his body exuded the word "comfortable", and even his eyebrows turned into slits in laughter.

The man behind him said humbly;

"Commander, in compliance with your will, I just did some minor chores to fill in the gaps, and I don't deserve such a high reputation."

Feng Guohui smiled and waved his hands after hearing this. Instead of continuing to talk to him, he went straight to the main courtyard.

Feng Zhaoliang followed behind, his steps becoming much more brisk.

With the increasing flow of Chinese immigrants, the city of Surabaya is developing rapidly with each passing day. The urban area has more than doubled in size, and there are prosperous construction scenes everywhere.

As of the end of June 1860
The permanent population of Surabaya City (note, including Tieshan Town and surrounding villages) has reached 27.3, which has doubled compared with two years ago.

The main roads and other streets in the city are wide and flat, with complete sewage duct facilities. The roads are paved with flat stones. There are 3 to 4-story stone buildings on both sides of the road.

The architectural styles include Western and Chinese styles. The roads are separated by green belts in the center. Pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages follow the principle of driving on the right. They are clearly separated from each other and the city is neat and orderly.

Police officers wearing white-on-top and blue-on-bottom uniforms patrol the streets in pairs to maintain order in shops and vendors and deter robbery, theft and other criminal activities.

The police are generally equipped with a baton, a police whistle, two police ropes and a police revolver. As long as the police whistle sounds, they can quickly receive support from nearby police stations.

Such equipment is already relatively advanced and comprehensive.

The police force is now mainly composed of retired officers and soldiers. The recent series of wars have resulted in a large number of injured and retired officers and soldiers. The Taxation Bureau and the General Police Administration have become the main places for resettlement.

In the past, the random appointment of police officers on the streets has been greatly reduced.

Except for special circumstances, it is generally not recognized.

After entering the police station, you need to undergo three months of police training. This is also a manifestation of the formalization of the administrative system and the rules are gradually being followed.

The central green belt of Surabaya Street is mainly planted with tall coconut trees, giving it a strong tropical style.

Wandering on the streets
You can see that some tall buildings are under construction, including the Surabaya Museum, the Grand Library, the Grand Theater, as well as hospitals, the main building of the university and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Building, showing an ongoing construction boom.

The road from Surabaya City to Tieshan Town has now been widened into a thoroughfare, which can accommodate eight horse-drawn carriages running side by side. There is a railway track on both sides of the road for horse-drawn trains to carry goods.

Horse-drawn trains loaded with coal and steel industry products pass by every day, becoming a scene on the outskirts of Surabaya and often attracting many new immigrants to watch.

The entire city of Surabaya is rapidly expanding visibly to the naked eye, becoming newer, prettier, taller and neater.

The original scene of sewage ponds and mud pits everywhere on the streets, covered in gray on sunny days and covered in mud on rainy days, is gone forever. Instead, there are birds singing and flowers blooming everywhere.

Even in the rainy season, when heavy rains hit every three days, it is difficult to see stagnant water in Surabaya City. Urban residents do not need to wade through dirty stagnant water, and their quality of life has been greatly improved.

This kind of situation is not uncommon in big cities like Batavia and Bandung. To put it bluntly, the new look of Surabaya City has crushed many European cities, and the level of urban sewer facilities and management is far beyond that.

This kind of change is happening in Semarang, Campang, Jepara, Solo, Yogyakarta, and Saladiga. The changes are for the better, but the degree is different.

This has to be said about the personal preference of Marshal Feng Guohui. He hates unhygienic environments very much. When he first occupied Daheng, the old Gao frowned.

At that time, Daheng was experiencing several days of rain, and sewage was flowing into the streets and alleys.

In some low-lying areas, sewage can reach to the middle of the thighs, with feces, rotten vegetable leaves and other debris mixed in. After being exposed to the sun, the smell is really impressive.

Even on high ground, the dirt streets are surrounded by potholes and ponds, all filled with yellow-black sewage.

The local aboriginal nobles generally live in high places, with high terrain and high thresholds, so they are not greatly affected, but ordinary tribal poor people are miserable.

It's hard to describe such a living environment.

Living in such a harsh environment, the average life expectancy of local indigenous people is only 36 years old. Many people are infected with various diseases at a young age and die without money for treatment.

Feng Guohui strongly hated this dirty environment, so in the areas occupied by the Nanyang Military Government, it became a common policy to renovate streets, build complete sewer facilities, universally build public toilets, strictly prohibit open defecation, and strictly manage livestock excrement.

As long as the above points are done well, the happiness index of the people in the occupied area can be raised by more than one level.

And many inexplicable infectious diseases, when prevention and control work is done well, quietly disappear and will no longer harm your health.

It doesn't cost much, but it greatly improves the quality of life of the public.

According to Feng Guohui's vision, there are not many historical buildings worth preserving in the cities occupied by the Nanyang Military Government, which opens the door to large-scale demolition and construction.

In order to meet the standards of municipal construction, many newly occupied cities demolished entire streets and shantytowns, and extensive construction work was carried out to dig out roads and build drainage ditches and culverts.

Such a big move provided many jobs in post-war cities.

Feng Guohui has always adhered to the political philosophy of "only when you live in peace can you work and work happily." This is what he considered and did. Facts have proved that the effect is very good.

(End of this chapter)