1850 American Gold Tycoon.

Chapter 720 Production and Construction Corps

“28 people, if there are more, our food reserves will not be able to feed so many mouths.

Although Pratt has been developed for more than five years, it is only a small place after all, and not much surplus grain can be squeezed out.

Many necessities of life still have to be transported from California by train."

28 people. This number was not decided by Liang Shaoqiong on a whim, but was the result of careful consideration.

The local necessities produced in Pratt were only slightly in surplus, and many supplies for immigrants still had to be brought from California.

The Pacific Railway has limited transport capacity. Due to the tense war situation some time ago, the Pacific Railway had to give priority to military use, and only 30% of the Pacific Railway's transport capacity was allocated to civilian use.

"How many of these 28 people are old immigrants?" Liang Yao asked as he flipped through the "Immigration Committee's Initial Development and Construction Plan for the Central Border Region" submitted by Liang Shaoyu.

At present, the ruling power of the American Republic in the central border areas is still relatively weak, and the situation in the Great Plains is complicated, with Han people, indigenous peoples, and white immigrants from the East living together.

The new immigrants just brought in from the Qing Dynasty may find it difficult to gain a foothold in the Great Plains. To be on the safe side, it would be better to bring some old immigrants over from the West Coast.

Old immigrants have more experience in dealing with white people and indigenous people.

In addition, the older immigrants have a relatively higher level of education and are better able to manage villages and towns and organize the public.

"New and old immigrants each account for half." Liang Shaoyu has been engaged in immigrant resettlement work for many years and has extensive immigration experience. He has already taken this into consideration.

"However, among the old immigrants, there are many people from agricultural reclamation companies. These people come here for profit. The living conditions in border areas are poor, so they will not live in border areas permanently."

"Agricultural reclamation companies?" Liang Yao asked, "How do these companies operate and make profits?"

"In short, it is a company formed by a group of old immigrants who have experience in land reclamation. Some of them found that it was more profitable to reclaim virgin land into mature land and then sell it to other immigrants or companies that were interested in running the business than to run a small farm themselves. As a result, agricultural reclamation companies flourished, and many immigrants from Fujian and Guangdong worked in agricultural reclamation companies." Liang Shaoyu briefly introduced the operating model of agricultural reclamation companies to Liang Yao and asked.

“Should it be restricted or banned?”

"Existence is reasonable. The fact that so many agricultural reclamation companies can survive shows that the market demand is strong. What's more, they are operating legally and have not violated the law. Why should they be restricted?" Liang Yao said with a smile.

The commercialization of agriculture is increasing, which is a good thing.

A farmer can contribute much more taxes than a self-employed farmer.

More than a decade ago, only those who had nowhere else to go and could not survive in the Qing Dynasty would cross the ocean to make a living.

Now, in addition to immigrants officially organized by the American Republic, the number of immigrants coming from the Qing Dynasty at their own expense is increasing.

It is too difficult to reclaim wasteland from scratch, so wealthy immigrants often prefer to buy ready-made cultivated land.

"Yes, there will be a market only if there is demand." Liang Shaoyu stroked his forehead and said self-deprecatingly, "My mind still hasn't come around, and I still think that capital is important and cost is low."

"If we follow the plan submitted by your immigration committee, the central border area can also be developed, but it will take too long and we don't have that much time."

Liang Yao asked Cai Si to bring the "Proposal on the Establishment of a Production and Construction Corps in the Central Border Region" that he had personally drafted these days to Liang Shaoyu for his reading.

Liang Shaoyu put on his reading glasses and carefully read Liang Yao's proposal. It took him half an hour to roughly understand the general content.

"Kill multiple birds with one stone! The president's proposal is more brilliant!" Liang Shaoyu praised, "I have visited the Great Plains area in the Mississippi River Basin.

The Mississippi River basin has alluvial soil that has been eroded and deposited over millions of years. The soil is very fertile, and the river water is abundant, making irrigation convenient.

The Great Plains region has a warm climate and sufficient sunlight, so crops such as wheat, soybeans, corn, cotton, and tobacco can be grown.

The Mississippi River basin has a dense water network, sufficient flow, and most sections of the river are navigable.

These are the advantages of the Mississippi River Basin.

However, the Mississippi River is prone to frequent disasters such as floods, rainstorms, and storms. There are many mosquitoes and malaria in the area. It is not easy to turn the central frontier into a granary like California. "

Liang Shaoyu listed the advantages and disadvantages of the Mississippi River Basin one by one.

In addition, transportation is also a major problem. Although the Mississippi River is a natural transportation artery, the construction of infrastructure such as railway transportation and warehousing facilities in the central border areas is very backward.

It is beyond the capabilities of private companies to build a usable railway transportation system in the central border area in a short period of time.

This can only be achieved if the American Republic devotes all its national strength, and the cost required is not millions or tens of millions of dollars, but hundreds of millions of dollars.

Of course, these are not the biggest and most difficult problems facing the development of the central border areas.

The biggest problems are the external environment and internal security.

If these two problems are not solved, even if the central border areas are barely developed, it will be a wedding dress for others. Liang Yao's proposal to set up a special production and construction corps in the central border areas can better solve this problem.

"Compared with the original model of developing California and Colorado, the militarized management model of developing the Pratt's border settlements is more suitable for border areas," said Liang Yao.

"Most of the local white people are not on the same page with us. I plan to incorporate all residents of large settlements in the central region with a population of more than 800 people into the Production and Construction Corps in the early stages of development and carry out militarized management to facilitate control."

To put it bluntly, the so-called Pratt model is an experiment based on the experience of development and management of the Western Regions in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

This model is obviously more suitable for developing border areas with unstable geopolitical situations than the traditional American state model.

The conventional administrative system would find it difficult to respond quickly to possible counterattacks by the Northern Army or even intervention by foreign forces in the north.

At the same time, this system also allows local garrisons to undertake combat and production tasks at the same time, serving as civilians in peacetime and soldiers in wartime, thereby alleviating financial pressure.

The army's organizational and mobilization capabilities in infrastructure construction, such as building water conservancy and irrigation systems, railways, and highways, are far beyond the reach of the conventional administrative system.

The most crucial point is that without setting up states in border areas, the Sacramento Central can vertically manage the central border areas, carry out unified planning and construction, directly bypass the state-level government, and improve construction efficiency.

Although the central government of the American Republic has much stronger control over the states than the Northern Federation.

However, if administrative orders pass through one more level of administrative units, it will inevitably increase administrative costs and reduce administrative efficiency.

"That's great." Liang Shaoyu expressed his strong support for this.

"In this way, even if the white people in those small settlements revolt, a hundred or so people can't cause much trouble, and only one company can be sent out to quell it."

Previously, when he was in charge of immigration work in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and other places, the most annoying thing was dealing with local white immigrants. These white communities are generally settlements of the same ethnic group and are very exclusive.

If he could militarize the white population in large settlements, his future immigration work would be much less stressful and he could focus on settling Chinese immigrants.

"Put aside the immigration work here for now and let your assistant take over. I have a more important task to give you right now." Liang Yao said.

"I need 8 armed old settlers, who will be fed and clothed by the military, and you will take them to Dubuque in person."

Dubuque is a small town on the Mississippi River in Idaho, bordering both Illinois and Wisconsin.

"Dubique?" Liang Shaoyu was puzzled and didn't know why Liang Yao wanted to send these old immigrants to Dubuque.

"Although these old immigrants are much braver than the new immigrants, they are not soldiers after all! In a war, they are just a mob and will hinder the army."

Liang Shaoyu thought that Liang Yao wanted to use these 8 old immigrants as soldiers, and hurriedly advised Liang Yao to give up this idea.

"I know they are not good at fighting." Liang Yao said with a smile, "but when it comes to fighting, I think they should all be good."

"Extortion?" Liang Shaoyu still had a puzzled look on his face.

"Wisconsin is giving blood transfusion to Minnesota. I want to teach them a lesson." Liang Yao said, "Aren't the immigrants short of food? It just so happens that the wheat in Wisconsin is ripe. Let them go to Wisconsin to help harvest it.

Wherever the army went, they would carry their guns and sickles and go there to harvest.

As for the equipment in the Wisconsin factory, we will do everything we can to move it away, and if we can’t move it away, we will destroy it on the spot!”

"This" Liang Shaoyu was shocked. Is it possible to do this? Or is it the third nephew who has the idea?

"This must be a good hand! Are these looted items going to the immigrants or the army?"

"Except for machinery and equipment, everything else belongs to the immigrants. Whoever brings it back will own it." Liang Yao said, "The immigrants will not be allowed to move the machines for free. Anyone who can transport machinery and equipment from Wisconsin to Dubuque will have their weight converted into land quotas. The good land will be given priority to those immigrants who contribute, as the freight for their transportation of machinery and equipment."

What the central frontier region lacks most right now is factory machinery and equipment, and Wisconsin has a good industrial foundation.

It would be a pity to destroy all the equipment in the factory. It would be better to bring back the movable ones directly to the Production and Construction Corps for use in the local factory. This would also save a lot of shipping costs for transporting the machines from California.

"Great! This way, we don't have to pay extra money." Liang Shaoyu clapped his hands and praised it.

"In my opinion, Dubuque is a good place. It is located at the intersection of three states and is a good place suitable for development." Liang Yao made another arrangement.

"These 8 immigrants should not go anywhere else. It is good to settle down in Dubuque. Dubuque is not a nice name. From now on, this place will be renamed Dingbian City."

Dingbian City is located at the strategic point of three states, with ready-made shipping waterways and ports available. If Dingbian City can be developed as a priority, it can contain Wisconsin and Illinois at the same time, which is killing two birds with one stone.

(End of this chapter)