Next spring, the first batch of indentured servants will return to their status as free citizens.
In order to cope with the impact, Richard decided to convene a meeting with managers of the civil affairs system.
The meeting focused on several aspects, including next year's financial budget and this year's financial summary.
Participants in the meeting included Richard, Sophia, Powell, Wendy, Adrian, Tang En and other members of the Haaland family, as well as Gibson, Rooney, Bobby, Thomas Weber, Tony, Bernard, Ihaki
You and other territorial civil servants.
Gibson was the great steward of the Harland family and was also William's cousin. After the Harland family became prosperous, Gibson and his relatives defected to William.
These distant branches of the Harland family basically settled in Black River Castle with William. They either did some small business under the protection of the Harland family, or participated in the management of Mrs. Olla's property.
Richard pointed at Gibson and indicated that he would start the explanation first.
In recent years, Gibson and Liliana have basically been responsible for the Black River Castle business that Mrs. Olla has been responsible for.
Gibson opened an account book, coughed slightly, and said: "By October this year, the hotel's income will be average, and it will earn sixty gold coins after excluding expenses. The income from rent will be less this year, adding up to thirty-six gold coins."
Ninety-six gold coins is of course a huge sum of money for ordinary people, and requires one person to work for twenty-five years. But for the Harland family, it is better than nothing. Now the family's annual expenses, even if they save some
It also costs more than two hundred gold coins.
"The revenue from the taverns is very good. The net profit of the six taverns reached 500 gold coins."
Hearing that there was a net profit of five hundred gold coins, Richard nodded with satisfaction and asked, "Can we open the tavern to places like Wright Castle and Flame Castle?"
"I'm afraid it's difficult. We don't have enough strength in these two places to deal with all kinds of troubles."
Richard knew in his heart that the Harland family's main relationships were with Black River Fort.
My father and third uncle are both officers in the Northern Army, and they have great influence in Black River Fort. The competitors of the tavern naturally do not dare to cause trouble.
Even though the business of the six taverns is booming and the profits are considerable, relying on the reputation of William and Bernie, they can easily block the coveting and prying eyes of all kinds of monsters and monsters.
Originally, the Harland family had some connections in Black River Fort and Grizzly Bear Fort, but Roland and Soros were not developing smoothly in the Crazy Lion and Grizzly Bear legions. Now some people are just having fun, and they can help with small things, which involves every year.
The benefits of a few hundred gold coins and past friendship may not solve the problem.
Even if those local snakes don't kill people, if they throw a few venomous snakes into the tavern every day and cause trouble for you, the tavern will not be able to operate.
At that time, only dark means can be used.
The competitors are all nobles, and they are not weak in strength. Richard thinks it is uneconomical to waste the family's strength in such a place.
The Harland Territory develops rapidly in new industries every year, and can fully use its strength to develop new markets.
It is far easier to obtain profits in the incremental market than in the stock market.
In addition to taverns, hotels, and rental businesses, Mrs. Olla also runs a bakery, a clothing store, and a shoe store in Black River Fort.
These small businesses may seem inconspicuous, but their combined income is quite considerable.
Because the people hired were all serfs, the cost was very low. As long as they gave them food, they could get the job done.
The lower the labor cost, the lower the price, and the business is often very good. The total net income is 200 gold coins.
Coupled with William and Bernie's generous salaries, Black River Fort's net income exceeded one thousand gold coins.
The expenses of the two companies last year were about 200 gold coins. Even if it is more this year, the income is still considerable.
Hearing about the income of Black River Fort, Richard felt confident. He felt that Mrs. Ola should have saved a lot of money in recent years, and this money could be borrowed first.
“What are the benefits of brown sugar?”
Ihaqir, who is responsible for managing the Brown Sugar Industrial Park, does not need to look at the books. These data have already been recorded in his mind.
"This year's brown sugar production is 3.3 tons, with an output value of 275 gold coins. The territory's welfare distribution consumes 900 kilograms of brown sugar, and the gold coin income is only 200. The brown sugar industry is developing very fast. Next year's output will exceed six tons, with an output value of 500
gold."
Richard knew that although the brown sugar industry had great development prospects, it would not be able to earn a large amount of gold coins in a short period of time.
Five hundred gold coins is already a considerable profit for a baron.
Three thousand acres of paddy fields need to be cultivated and a heavy tax of 70% is levied in order to obtain this money.
This is equivalent to the tax collected by a serf village of thousands of people in one year.
Although a barony in northern Xinjiang relies on growing food, it can still receive thousands of gold coins.
However, the baron needs to purchase weapons and equipment and pay soldiers. The annual cost of raising a squadron is about one thousand gold coins.
In order to protect the security of the territory, the lords in the northern Xinjiang region have to spend more on raising troops.
Typically a squadron costs one thousand five hundred gold coins per year.
In the event of war, military expenditures will increase.
In addition to military expenses, the lords also had to enjoy themselves, socialize, build relationships, give gifts, buy medicines, and purchase resources for their own cultivation, so they couldn't save much money at all.
"What about the income of the brick kiln factory?" Richard turned around and asked Rooney, the director of the brick kiln factory.
"The brick kiln factory received very few external orders this year. Only Baron Dirham ordered some city bricks to repair the damaged city walls, which totaled only one hundred and twenty gold coins. As for the bricks used within the territory, they are not counted this year."
"Next year, many of your workers should become free citizens, right?"
"Yes, most of the brick kiln factory workers are the first batch of indentured servants, and their contracts will be up next year."
"The worker's appointment has expired, what are your plans?"
"I'm going to convert it into an employment contract and give them wages."
"Have the wages been set?"
"The current plan is to calculate it on a daily basis, four copper coins per day."
"Working thirty days a month, the salary is only four silver coins, which is a bit low. The labor intensity in the brick kiln factory is very high, I think we should increase it a little."
Hearing Richard's opinion, Rooney felt a little dissatisfied.
"Lord, you are too kind. The workers in the brick kiln factory have been allocated land. Each person is allocated an average of five acres of farmland. A family of six has 30 acres of land. The tax revenue from the territory is only 30%. These people rely on land income.
After paying taxes and excluding food rations, the annual net income is about two gold coins. You can also go to the brick kiln to make money during the slack period.
As long as they become free citizens, their living standards will immediately improve, far exceeding those of the citizens of Black River Fort. What are they dissatisfied with?
Human desires have no bottom line, I should advise the lord that the salary cannot be increased."