Chapter 215: 1906 Year-End Summary
The fleet that had been assigned to escort Princess Mary had set out long before the wedding, and it finally reached the port of Sydney on the day the wedding was set to begin, delivering her just outside the harbor.
In addition to the fleets from both sides, there were also the Royal Infantry Regiment from Australasia and two Russian divisions escorting her. These two divisions from Russia were elite units drawn from the European region. While their combat strength was not on par with the elite forces of Australasia, their equipment was well-maintained and uniform, which left an impressive impression.
Together, more than 30,000 troops were mobilized just to escort the wedding. This was quite a rare occurrence and certainly added a touch of grandeur and nobility to the event.
For the soldiers of the Royal Guard, this journey also served as valuable training. They spent nearly two months aboard ships and became accustomed to the swaying of the ships on the ocean. Once they reached the harbor, the Infantry Regiment was finally able to return to their base and rest, leaving the responsibility of escorting Princess Mary to the cavalry waiting at the port.
At the harbor, reporters and journalists from various countries were eagerly taking photos of the military display. The performance of the Australasia Army attracted their attention, with its perfectly synchronized formations and discipline. This showed the army to be a formidable force.
Of course, the reason the reporters gave such positive coverage was not only because of the Australasia Army's performance but also due to the comparison with the Russian forces. While Russia's two divisions were also elite, the overall training level of the Russian troops was somewhat lacking, and they could not compare to the well-trained Royal Guard, who had been supported with significant funds and resources.
In short, the presence of the Russian army only served to highlight the strength of the Royal Guard, leaving everyone with the impression that it was a powerful military force.
After the cavalry escorted Princess Mary to Sydney Palace, the wedding ceremony took place in the palace church.
The officiating bishop was not the Archbishop of Canterbury but another bishop from the British Church. The tedious process of inviting a bishop from the British Church for major events led Arthur to push for Australasia to establish its own church and archbishop.
With the church and bishop under his control, it was far more convenient to handle such matters. At least, this was how Arthur saw it.
After the sacred ceremony in the church, Princess Mary officially became the Queen of Australasia, and Arthur's legal wife. This also marked the end of the grand wedding, and life in Australasia returned to a more peaceful pace.
The wedding had been an expensive affair for both Russia and Australasia, with the combined expenses surpassing 7 million Australian dollars.
However, the benefits for both countries were substantial. Russia had successfully showcased its strength to the world, demonstrating that it was still a powerful nation.
For Australasia, the benefits were even greater, and some of them were immeasurable.
First, the dowry brought by Queen Mary amounted to over a million Australian dollars, including large amounts of jewelry, resources, food, and even people.
Yes, it was that direct. Queen Mary brought tens of thousands of Russian farmers with her, who would now officially become citizens of Australasia.
This wedding also marked the beginning of a large-scale immigration agreement between Russia and Australasia. Every year, more Russian immigrants would arrive in Australasia.
The most important benefit Mary brought to Arthur was the legal and lawful authority to govern these Russian peasants. Through his marriage to the Russian royal family, Arthur could better consolidate their loyalty to his rule.
The Russian immigrants would become a valuable asset for Australasia, just as the British immigrants had. Their acceptance of Arthur's rule and the kingdom would be much higher than that of other nationalities.
After the wedding, Arthur had only a few days of happiness in his married life before being quickly swept back into his busy political duties.
With the end of the year approaching, and given the fact that the Kingdom of Australasia had been established, the year-end report meeting was mandatory, and it had to be held in a particularly formal manner.
Even more importantly, next year would be 1907, the fourth year of this cabinet government's term.
This meant that the next cabinet election would be held in the coming year. As most of the current cabinet members had already served two terms, it was likely that there would be major changes in the cabinet.
Of course, they still had the opportunity for re-election, as Australasia followed Australia's policy, where ministers could serve up to three terms.
However, this might be the last year they would attend the annual report meeting, and this had great significance for many cabinet members, as it was an important opportunity for them to fight for re-election.
On December 31, 1906, the 1906 Annual Summary Report of the Kingdom of Australasia was successfully held in the Council of Government.
Inside the meeting room, all the officials sat with their clothes neat and awaited Arthur's arrival.
As Arthur entered the meeting room, a round of warm applause erupted as everyone greeted, "Your Majesty!"
Arthur gave a subtle nod, signaling everyone to sit down, before smiling and saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, it's hard to believe, but the Kingdom of Australasia is nearly one year old now. It's time to evaluate your work. Let's hear about the achievements of the government!"
As usual, Prime Minister Evan was the first to deliver the kingdom's summary.
"Your Majesty, throughout the entire year of 1906, the kingdom's development reached new heights. We can proudly announce that our infrastructure in education, healthcare, and other areas has caught up with that of ordinary European nations and is moving towards catching up with the great powers. Our industry has also taken a new step forward, and we are working towards becoming a stronger industrial power," Prime Minister Evan reported.
"Both the income of the people and the national revenue have shown noticeable growth. It is conservatively estimated that next year, the government will achieve a complete balance between revenue and expenditure and will begin making a profit in the second year. Our agriculture and livestock industries have also experienced significant growth, and every aspect of the country is steadily progressing. Under Your Majesty's wise leadership, the rise of the kingdom is in sight and the future is promising," Prime Minister Evan continued.
His flattery earned applause from the room, and Arthur nodded in acknowledgment.
After the general government summary, the ministers from each department presented detailed reports on their respective sectors.
Minister of Industry, Pierre, stood up, respectfully handed Arthur a report from the Ministry of Industry, and then addressed everyone: "Your Majesty, everyone. This year, we've seen a noticeable shift in our industrial growth. Our investments in industry have not been limited to steel and high-end industries, but we've also made significant progress in various lower-end industries."
"By the end of this year, our total steel production has officially surpassed two million tons, reaching 2,137,600 tons. Among this, our iron production is 1,332,100 tons, and steel production has reached 805,500 tons. This officially places us among the ranks of industrial powerhouses," Minister Pierre said with a smile.
"With the help of Germany, the kingdom's basic industries have also grown significantly. Various factories have been established in our industrial zones, filling gaps in various types of industry. I propose that we expand our technical worker schools and offer more specialized courses to meet the demand for workers in these factories," Minister Pierre suggested.
As Australasia's industries developed, the demands for workers of different skills became increasingly diverse.
Arthur nodded and decisively said, "Of course, the Ministry of Industry can begin expanding our technical worker schools immediately. Not only do we need to develop our industries, but the supply of skilled workers must keep up to better align with our growth."
"Currently, we have more than seven industrial zones, with over 100,000 Australasians working there. Additionally, more than 100,000 indigenous workers are employed in these zones, which is the reason for the rapid growth of our industries," Minister Pierre said with a smile.
Arthur nodded.
To promote Australasia's development, the government had invested at least 600,000 indigenous workers, and this number continued to increase. Of course, with such rapid growth, some casualties were inevitable.
According to the government's incomplete statistics, more than 60,000 indigenous workers had lost their lives in Australasia, but their positions would soon be filled by new workers.
Although it seemed harsh, this was the reality of the times. If Australasia didn't develop aggressively, it would have been its own people who were oppressed and enslaved.
"Your Majesty, besides industrial growth, the reserves of various mineral resources have also increased significantly. We've discovered vast amounts of coal, iron, silver, aluminum, oil, copper, and various other minerals. Our mineral resources have been exported to many surrounding countries and regions, bringing us significant additional revenue," Minister Pierre continued.
Australasia was a massive resource powerhouse, even with the early 20th century's underdeveloped exploration technology.
Nearby countries and regions needed large amounts of minerals, and Australasia was perfectly positioned to fill that gap.
Especially the previous mineral trade with the island nation, which had brought over 200,000 Australian dollars in profit each year.
Of course, after the mineral trade with the island nation ended, this income was naturally lost.
But the small sum of 200,000 Australian dollars was not something the Australasian government was concerned with.
Once Minister Pierre finished his report, Minister of Public Welfare Walter stood up, also submitting a report before introducing: "Your Majesty, everyone. By the end of this year, the kingdom's total population has surpassed 6.55 million. Of this, Australia has 5.21 million, New Zealand has 1.3 million, and the New Guinea colony has fewer than 40,000."
"Compared to last year, we've seen significant population growth, much of which is thanks to immigrants from Europe," Minister Walter explained.
(End of Chapter)
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