Chapter 1120: A Period of Rapid Development
After the ball concluded, Joseph escorted Count Ostermann back to his room with practiced courtesy. He then turned immediately to Talleyrand and gave his instructions. "Once the Russian ambassador departs for home, I want you to head to Rome immediately."
Talleyrand caught his meaning instantly. "Your Highness, a simple letter to the Pope would actually suffice. If you find that insufficient, we could have Prince Ludovico step forward to expose the matter in Rome himself."
Joseph considered this for a moment and nodded.
Having the Prince of Parma report the Papacy's last remaining knightly order for unauthorized collusion with the Orthodox Church was indeed more appropriate. Furthermore, Ludovico was a relative by marriage to the French crown; he would certainly handle the task with the utmost dedication.
The following day, while Talleyrand continued to manage the Russian Foreign Minister, Joseph convened what would be the most significant cabinet meeting in recent memory.
It was now late February. Statistics regarding France's industrial and agricultural performance for the previous year had been finalized, and the data now lay before Joseph.
Mirabeau, the Minister of Industry, stood and announced their achievements with a voice ringing with pride.
"Last year, our total coal production reached 9.6 million tons. Of that, anthracite accounted for 520,000 tons. Seventy percent of our cities have begun using honeycomb briquettes. Coke production reached 380,000 tons, and eighty percent of our steel production now comes from coke-fired processes."
"Furthermore, in the past year, the nation added six large blast furnaces, seven forge works, and two slitting mills."
He spoke voluminously for over twenty minutes before finally setting his documents down with lingering enthusiasm. He squared his shoulders and declared, "As of the end of last year, we have successfully achieved every single goal set forth in the Industrial Development Plan!"
Joseph immediately led the applause, offering the Ministry of Industry his unstinting praise.
In recent years, by leveraging the coal and iron resources of the Netherlands and the Rhineland, alongside the markets of Italy, Spain, and Southern Germany, French industry had achieved an unprecedented rate of expansion.
According to data gathered by French intelligence, France's coal production had now surpassed that of Britain—a feat largely attributed to the vigorous promotion of honeycomb coal briquettes.
Steel production was also narrowing the gap with Britain. Last year, British steel output was estimated to be between 115,000 and 125,000 tons.
As for traditional French strongholds like chemicals, furniture, pharmaceuticals, and printing, the gap had widened to the point where France led Britain by several, if not a dozen, times over.
Currently, Britain only maintained a temporary lead in sectors such as textiles, ceramics, and shipbuilding.
Vergniaud, the Minister of Agriculture, rose impatiently, his expression equally animated.
"Last year, our total wheat production reached 2.1 million tons."
He paused for effect before continuing. "This figure does not include the output from the Algiers Province. As everyone is aware, the administrative system there is not yet fully mature, and with the vast amount of newly reclaimed land, precise statistics are difficult to compile. However, rough estimates place it between 300,000 and 350,000 tons."
While the number might seem modest, one had to remember that Algiers had a population of only about 1.7 million. The grain surplus was so immense they could practically eat half and discard the rest.
Vergniaud continued his report. "Additionally, the nation harvested 6.3 million tons of potatoes last year."
"280,000 tons of oats..."
"340,000 tons of sugar beets..."
"170,000 tons of alfalfa..."
"110,000 tons of soybeans. Oh, and half of that total was produced in Saint-Louisiana. That region is simply perfect for soybean cultivation."
After reciting a long string of figures, Vergniaud announced with great momentum, "Moving forward, our nation will officially become a major grain exporter. Last year's export volume already approached the combined total of the Netherlands and Prussia."
Joseph nodded privately. Between the vigorous promotion of chemical fertilizers and the acquisition of vast, high-quality grain-producing regions in North Africa, France had completely eliminated the possibility of famine. Even if a severe natural disaster like the one a few years ago were to strike, the grain output would be more than enough to feed the entire population.
As the arable land in Tunisia and Algiers continued to be developed, grain exports would inevitably become a vital source of revenue for the French treasury.
Moreover, agricultural abundance would drive down food prices, encouraging more farmers to seek employment in higher-paying factories.
Once he finished with the grain figures, Vergniaud's voice lowered slightly. "Last year, due to the impact of powdery mildew, wine production was limited to 11.5 million barrels."
"Monsieur Daubenton believes that this blight was introduced by grape varieties brought over from North America."
11.5 million barrels was approximately 2.5 billion liters. Even with the blight, this was significantly higher than in previous years and far surpassed any other European nation.
Furthermore, as French industry continued to evolve, the importance of wine exports to the national economy had diminished considerably. Consequently, Joseph merely gave a casual instruction to find a solution as quickly as possible and moved on.
Vergniaud continued. "We built three new sugar refineries last year, including one in Northern Germany."
"The two potash fertilizer plants in the Rhineland can now produce 223,000 tons annually. A third factory is under construction; once it begins operations, it will add another 130,000 tons to our annual capacity."
"The phosphate fertilizer plant in eastern Algiers began production at the end of last year. Currently, the phosphate stone fertilizer produced in North Africa alone reaches 170,000 tons per year."
Due to cost considerations, France was no longer transporting phosphate from Nauru. However, if the West Coast of North America were to develop in the future, they could potentially sell phosphate fertilizer there.
Next, Jean-Marie Roland, the Minister of the Interior, rose to report, focusing primarily on the expansion of the Preparatory Physician system.
"Currently, only the mountainous provinces of the southwest and parts of the Rhineland lack Preparatory Physicians. Doctor Perna suggests transferring some physicians from the eastern regions to the Rhineland. However, this involves providing subsidies, which may require an initial investment exceeding 500,000 francs."
"Furthermore, the second phase of the cowpox vaccination program was completed at the end of last year. Over four million people were vaccinated, with very few adverse reactions. Smallpox cases in the vaccinated areas have dropped by more than ninety percent compared to pre-vaccination levels."
"At present, the main bottlenecks are a shortage of infected cattle and the high price of syringes. Therefore, the planned number for the third phase is only 3.3 million people."
'If a Briton, who pays 300 francs for a single syringe, heard that, they would probably weep,' Joseph thought.
The French Bureau of Health had signed a massive procurement agreement with medical device manufacturers, driving the price of a syringe down to 24 francs. Yet, for a nationwide vaccination program, the total cost remained staggering. Each phase of the cowpox program required an investment of nearly 2 million francs.
However, this was money well spent.
Every year, France lost eighty to a hundred thousand people to smallpox. If these lives could be saved, it would add nearly a million people to the French population over a decade. The tax revenue alone would more than recoup the investment.
And if a million people were to be immigrated to Algiers, that territory would instantly be transformed into a core province of France.
Comments