Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 1153 To get rich, build roads first

In the winter of this year, the first batch of businessmen took the initiative to submit an application to the Ministry of Industry for contracting the construction of roads in the Gyeonggi area and the Tianjin Wei area.Merchants are willing to use their own funds to expand the official road and manage and repair the road. As compensation, they request to set up toll checkpoints in sections to compensate for their initial investment and profit from it.If it is not profitable, businessmen will not do something thankless.

When Chu Yun heard the news, he was in the courtyard with his child.At this moment, the snow was quite thick. Ling'er was wearing a thick padded jacket. He could already walk and followed at Chu Yun's feet. His little face was flushed red from the cold.

Ling'er was squatting on the ground, curiously observing the quokka's grass nest in the courtyard.In order for the quokka to cope with this cold winter, Chu Yun asked people to pile up grass in a corner of the courtyard and plant some cold-resistant plants.He will come to check on the status of this fragile pet when he is free.

The quokka seem to be able to handle the winter by staying in the grass and snow.However, this animal seems to be very lazy during the day, and it sleeps in its nest.Ling'er squatted down, staring at the sleeping dwarf kangaroo with wide eyes.

"My lord, the officials from the Ministry of Industry are asking to see you in the front hall." Yu Cheng came over to report.

"I'll go now, you stay here and watch Ling'er." Chu Yun said.

When Chu Yun came to the front hall, two officials from the Ministry of Industry were already waiting. They got up immediately when they saw Chu Yun coming out.

"The two of you came to visit in snowy weather. Could it be that something urgent happened?" Chu Yun sat down unhurriedly.

Although there are six regular meetings every day, they are on a rotation system, and Chu Yun also has his own time to rest. Seeing people from the Ministry of Industry take the initiative to find the house, it shows that there are problems that cannot be solved in the regular meetings.

"A group of businessmen came to our Ministry of Industry. They wrote a letter bluntly saying that some official roads are inconvenient, and it is difficult to walk in the mud in rainy days. In order to shorten the time for cargo transportation, they decided to contract a section of official road from the capital to Tianjinwei, planning to rebuild the official road. They Among the proposals submitted, the total roads planned to be contracted are 213 miles long, which will be divided into three phases, of which the first phase is 40 miles long to see the effect. Most of these businessmen are active in the capital, and some He owns industries in the Jiangnan region and trades with the capital," said an official from the Ministry of Industry.

The businessman offered to contract the official way!
Chu Yun found that the thinking of these businessmen became more and more active, and they seemed to be able to think of various ways to make money, and they dared to ask the government to contract for the reconstruction and maintenance of official roads.

But contracting out roads to private builders has historically been a common practice.

Businessmen put their own money into road construction, and then set up toll stations on the road to recover their investment and earn profits through road maintenance and operation.This investment-return-profit model is in line with the usual practice of businessmen.

"The Ministry of Household Affairs has been claiming that the national treasury is tight all day long. We understand that the roads are in disrepair and are muddy. However, various projects are in progress and require a lot of financial investment. Therefore, the official roads will be used, and some areas may be passable. It is slower, but it is not impassable. If there are private businessmen who are willing to use their own wealth to rebuild the official road, it will be a relief for our finances. In addition, it will facilitate the passage of people and horse-drawn carriages. It is a good thing that kills two birds with one stone. But let the merchants Controlling the roads may have very serious consequences. They may use the monopoly of the roads to impose high tariffs, and also use it to suppress other businessmen in the same industry. If the people complain, this will make our government lose People's hearts. It is difficult to weigh the advantages and disadvantages, so we can't wait to visit you, military leader at this time." The official of the Ministry of Industry said.

It's this kind of multiple-choice question that is difficult to choose... Chu Yun has faced similar major choices more than once.

Handing over the road to private construction and contracting is not just as simple as it looks on the surface. In addition to the pros and cons of this matter itself, there is also an indirect impact-that is tradition.

If this is the case, the government will be able to contract more things to more professional and active businessmen in the future. It is hard to say whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. The most serious consequence is being kidnapped by the chaebol group The government, and the slightly better result than the worst result is that after the road is rebuilt, the merchants are unwilling to lay new ground in order to squeeze the value of the road as much as possible.Since they have a monopoly on the road, this section of road may fall into dilapidated trouble in the future.

Although entrusting private businessmen to run the official road may cause follow-up problems, the temptation is also great. The government can build a large amount of infrastructure without spending money-the private sector has far more silver reserves than the government.Since the government restricts the purchase of land, private silver investment channels can only be transferred to factories, antique calligraphy and paintings and other items.Now there is another option - infrastructure construction that is even more short of money.

To be honest, road construction is not a very good choice for businessmen, because the investment is large and the cycle is long.

Some businessmen are willing to form a group to invest, and the thinking of businessmen has made a big breakthrough.

"Let them submit a detailed plan to see their conditions. There is nothing that cannot be done, just be cautious." Chu Yun was very interested in the proposals of the businessmen.

It is not impossible for non-governmental businessmen to operate pipelines, as long as we set rules with them, what can be done and what cannot be done.

To get rich, build roads first!Building roads in advance can speed up the flow of goods and people, and promote economic development!Chu Yun from later generations firmly believed in this sentence.

With the in-depth research of internal combustion engine technology by the internal combustion engine research group, breakthroughs have been made in the internal combustion engine technology used in automobiles. In the near future, flatbed vehicles and trucks for transporting goods may be able to be produced, so a good road is extremely important.With more reliable roads and transport trucks, the efficiency of transporting goods will increase several times.

"Their official plan has been brought over, please take a look at it, Lord Commander," said the official from the Ministry of Industry.

Chu Yun took over the plan jointly submitted by the businessmen. The cost, budget, location, and mileage of the road had already been roughly estimated. The plan tried to explain the benefits of building roads. government.

"I'll accept it for the time being. I'll make comments after I read it. I'll bring it up at the regular meeting in a few days." Chu Yun still wants to use private capital to build roads quickly, and even wants someone to contract the railway , After all, the investment in the transportation industry is too large.

(End of this chapter)