"Your Majesty, I believe that the national policy formulated by the imperial court is based on the long-term prosperity of the entire Ming Empire. How can we easily change the national policy just because of a crisis in the textile industry?"
"If crises occur in other industries in the future, can we use this to coerce the court to change policies and formulate systems that are beneficial to their industries?"
As soon as Li Kun finished speaking, Zhong Fan immediately expressed his opposition.
"In terms of tariffs, our Ming Dynasty did not impose additional tariffs on overseas vassals, colonies, and vassal countries, and they also did not impose additional tariffs on our Ming Dynasty products."
"All the industrial products of our Ming Empire can be sold all over the world. If we look at the textile industry, then these vassals and colonies should also levy additional tariffs on the industrial products of our Ming Empire for the development of their own industries.
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"At that time, other industries such as steel, cement, chemicals, automobiles, machinery, etc. will also be greatly affected, and overseas markets will become volatile."
"Tariffs are all relative. Our Ming Dynasty exempts overseas vassals and colonies from tariffs, and they also exempt us from tariffs. Generally speaking, it is our Ming Empire that benefits."
"Because we can obtain cheap raw materials and vast markets from overseas colonies, vassal states, and vassal states, the products of many of our industries can be dumped all over the world."
"The main problem in the textile industry now is that there are too many factories and too much production capacity. The market simply does not need so many clothes and shoes."
"When some factories close down and the number of factories is reduced, the market will return to balance."
"Even if we raise tariffs and restrict the entry of overseas textiles, our local textile factories in Daming will still face the same problems."
"This is simply a way to treat the symptoms rather than the root cause. What's more, the people of the Ming Dynasty overseas are also the people of the emperor, and they are also our descendants of the Ming Dynasty. They have always been treated equally."
Zhong Fan has indeed followed Liu Jin for many years. His research and understanding of economics are deeper than those of ordinary people, and he is better able to see the essence and root causes of crises.
"That makes sense!"
When the others heard this, they also nodded.
The Ming Empire not only had the textile industry, but other industries were also very large, such as infrastructure industries based on steel and cement, machinery industries based on machinery, automobiles, and motorcycles, and electricity, telephones, telegraphs, electrical appliances, etc.
electrical industry, etc.
These industries are larger in scale, have higher output values, employ equally large numbers of people, and have much higher average incomes than the textile industry. They also rely heavily on the huge global market.
"What Mr. Zhong said makes sense."
"The request of the United Textile Company is extremely unreasonable."
"The rest system is a very reasonable system. We work eight hours a day and five days a week. This is based on strict calculations and considerations and is in line with people's living and working habits."
"This system is also formulated for the health of our Ming people and to promote people's consumption."
"If workers are just locked up in the factory to work all day long without a break for the whole year, the workers will definitely not be able to bear it. And if they are locked up all the time, the workers will not have much consumption, and the entire market will further deteriorate.
If the economy shrinks, all walks of life will be greatly affected."
"At that time, no one will be shopping in shopping malls, no one will be watching football at stadiums, and no one will be watching movies in cinemas. All industries will be affected."
"This is a very undesirable approach, and it is also a way of killing the goose that lays the egg."
After Wang Shouren thought for a while, he expressed his opinion.
The people in these textile chambers of commerce are really short-sighted and have no vision at all.
Why did Liu Jin formulate a resting system in the first place?
It's not just to stimulate the consumer market. At the beginning, workers worked in factories all day long and the money they earned was not spent, so the market couldn't take off.
Later, we had an eight-hour work system and gave you two days off on weekends. Everyone had to walk around and look around when they had nothing to do.
I always buy clothes and shoes that I like. Maybe I only needed one pair before, but now I may even buy 10 pairs and feel they are too little.
When you encounter something you like to eat, you will always go out. You also have time to go to watch football games, theaters, and movies, and the consumption power of the entire market can be greatly improved.
As the market improves, the life of the company will naturally become easier, and the products produced will not have to worry about selling.
Now they actually say that we have to do things in reverse, and do the opposite and live the same life as before.
Believe it or not, this crisis will only become more serious by then, and now it is only the textile industry that is in crisis. Once the holiday break system is cancelled, it may be a crisis in all walks of life.
No one will go to eat in restaurants, and business will be more difficult to do. No one will go to the stadiums, theaters, and cinemas to watch movies, ball games, and operas. These industries will also become withered.
No one goes shopping in the commercial street, how can these stores survive?
"That makes sense!"
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded along.
"Your Majesty, what the prince said makes sense!"
Others also expressed their support.
Damn it, if you cancel the resting system, do you want everyone to get up in the middle of the night to make the morning pilgrimage again like before?
Or is it going to be the same as before, after becoming an official, there will be no rest day all year round, and you will have to work hard on the government affairs of the court?
Are you living an uncomfortable life now?
Or is it that the operation of the Ming Empire is worse and less smooth now than before?
Each of these owners of the textile industry knows that looking at the difficulties and problems in front of them, how can they see the situation of the entire Ming Dynasty?
"Increasing tariffs and abolishing the holiday system will not work."
Zhu Houzhao thought about it and said very firmly.
The Emperor of Ming Dynasty is not only the emperor of the Ming Empire, but also the emperor of the vassal states, vassal states, and colonies of the Ming Dynasty. This alone must be maintained.
This is also the principle that all vassal states, vassal states, and colonies have always abided by, that is, the principle of treating everyone equally. There are no issues such as tariffs, currencies, etc. in transactions between colonies, vassal states, and vassal states.
This is actually freer and more convenient than the free trade zones of later generations. Generally speaking, it is beneficial to everyone, and the one who benefits the most is actually the Ming Empire.
Because the Ming Empire is now the largest industrial country, almost all industrial products are available in the Ming Empire, and they are all the largest and most complete.
Relying on its powerful industry, the Ming Empire could continuously plunder wealth from all over the world.
Overseas vassal states, vassal states and colonies played more roles as the source of raw materials and consumer markets for the Ming Empire.
If the Ming Empire implemented tariff protection, other vassal states, vassal states and colonies would follow suit. Do you think these overseas vassal states, vassal states and colonies don't know this?
Or are they content to just be the source of raw materials?
Obviously there are many people with ambitions and ideas, but under the system established by the Ming Empire, everyone can only do things according to the current system.
For these colonies, vassal states, and vassal states, they do not need to develop too comprehensive industries, they only need to become bigger and stronger in one field.
If you rely on the huge system of the Ming Empire, you can live a very comfortable life.
For example, some small colonies and vassal states can live a good life simply by growing cotton and sugar cane.
Because cotton and sugar cane can be exported to Ming Dynasty, and then you can buy a large amount of the goods you need from Ming Dynasty, if you use tariffs.
If additional tariffs are imposed on the cotton and sugar cane of small colonies and vassals, they will not be able to survive.
The entire system, with the Ming Empire as the main body and numerous vassal states, vassal states and colonies operating around the Ming Empire, was the system originally formulated by Liu Jin.
The currency is unified, the language and characters are unified, various weights and measures are also unified, and even social customs and many other things are unified.
Such large-scale free trade is beneficial to all of them.
Everyone has to perform their duties and play their respective roles well.
You can live a good life by relying on your own advantages and developing advantageous industries.
If there are mines, go mining. If the natural conditions are good, develop agriculture, grow sugar cane, cotton, etc. If the Ming Empire has a good industrial foundation, good education, and developed technology, then develop industry.
Such a system is beneficial to everyone.
Only a fool would shoot himself in the foot.
As for the resting system, it was of course impossible for Zhu Houzhao to cancel it. He was a lazy person. If he went to court every day, Zhu Houzhao would go crazy.
There are two days of rest in a week, and a few days of rest on holidays. Isn’t this a good idea? Everyone can have a rest, go around and play, spend, spend, what a good time.
Of course, in the eyes of these capitalists, workers are just tools, not people. It doesn't matter whether they take a break or not. It is best if they can work like overseas slaves, all year round, for more than ten hours a day.
"Your Majesty, but this textile industry is related to the employment of 20 million people, and we cannot ignore it."
Li Kun thought for a while and continued.
"At that time, these textile factories may be relocated to overseas colonies and vassal states. Our Ming Dynasty will lose a lot of tax revenue, and the people will also lose a lot of jobs."
After hearing Li Kun's words, everyone suddenly frowned again, not knowing what to do.
"It would be great if Liu Jin were here, he would definitely have a solution."