Chapter 89: The Development of Time and the Industrial Railway
Queen Wilhelmina's full name was Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria. She became Queen of the Netherlands in 1890 and remains so to this day.
However, Queen Wilhelmina's official coronation took place on September 6, 1898, and she has held real power for less than three years.
The Netherlands has already established a full constitutional monarchy and parliamentary system. The monarch holds very little actual power, and most of the time, the title is purely ceremonial.
In history, Queen Wilhelmina reigned for 50 years, making her the longest-reigning monarch in Dutch history.
During her reign, she showed great respect for the constitutional monarchy and parliamentary system, and she did her best to balance the opposing forces of the Anti-Revolutionary Party, the Liberal Party, and the Socialist Party.
Her time on the throne coincided with several critical turning points in Dutch and global history: the First World War, the Second World War, the economic crisis of 1933, and the independence of the Dutch colonies.
These events made Queen Wilhelmina one of the most legendary monarchs in Dutch history, deeply loved by the Dutch people.
Of course, the current Queen Wilhelmina has only officially ascended to the throne for less than three years. She remains politically inexperienced, and her historical marriage has yet to occur.
Perhaps due to the butterfly effect caused by Arthur, Queen Mother Emma unexpectedly chose Arthur as the candidate for marriage alliance and even went so far as to personally travel to Australia to negotiate the marriage with Princess Louise.
Thinking of this, Arthur grew somewhat silent. Since a marriage alliance with the Kingdom of the Netherlands would bring no harm to Australia and many benefits to himself,
then wouldn't being engaged to Wilhelmina be a good choice?
As he continued pondering, Arthur's mind grew heavy, and before long, he drifted into sleep.
The purchase plan for land from the Dutch natives would still take some time before implementation, but Australia's native transport plan in its own New Guinea colony had already been underway for some time.
Since Arthur gave the order, Governor Aníbal began developing detailed plans for its execution, waiting only for the agreed troops to arrive to begin the native capture operations.
Arthur moved quickly. In less than a month, a force of two thousand soldiers was fully prepared and dispatched to New Guinea.
For the indigenous people of New Guinea, this would become a haunting chapter of history—assuming any of them managed to survive at all.
But for Australia, this plan injected fresh vitality into its industrial development. Without harming the interests of Australians, it ensured a thriving national industry.
Beginning in July 1901, no fewer than 5,000 natives were forcibly transported to Australia each month under military pressure, assigned across all sectors of industrial construction.
They faced dangerous tasks that made even Australians shudder—jobs so hazardous that a single misstep could cost them their lives.
Of course, they were "generously" compensated. Black bread and wheat paste, carefully prepared by the logistics department, accompanied by vegetable soup made from unknown greens, were considered their lavish meals.
In post-WWI Germany, such food might have been worth millions of marks.
Arthur believed he was being exceptionally benevolent to them—not only spending heavily to provide food but also requiring only fourteen hours of labor each day, with the rest allocated for rest. Truly, a modern-day philanthropist of business.
Of course, Arthur didn't know what the natives thought. But ever since a few rambling natives were executed on the spot, it was obvious that the rest began showing less hatred and more fear and submission toward the Australians around them.
Minister of Industry Pierre and Minister of Transport Conradt were the most cheerful in recent days.
With sufficient native labor, the most noticeable improvements were in the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Transport.
These two departments required large amounts of manpower. With funds and equipment in ample supply, the addition of natives rapidly accelerated construction in industrial zones and transportation infrastructure.
Not only was road renovation proceeding at lightning speed, but even the urban redevelopment plan for Sydney—originally expected to take years to prepare—was now on the agenda, and city planning revisions were in full swing.
Australians had also grown used to seeing native workers in many of their workplaces.
Although usually separated by barbed wire and fences, the figures of these natives were clearly visible.
Seeing them being "politely requested" by armed soldiers to work, most Australians displayed proud smiles.
Don't be surprised—this was the norm in modern European society. A nation that didn't oppress colonial races would be looked down upon by others.
In summary, Europe's rise was a history of blood and tears. For Australians, successfully shifting that bloody oppression outward—especially onto these natives—was more than enough to satisfy them.
Public admiration and fervor for Arthur continued to rise in Australia. If polling agencies existed, Arthur's approval rating would be at least 99%.
Not reaching 100% isn't surprising; every country has a few eccentric minds.
All Arthur needed to do was ensure that the vast majority of rational people respected and loved his rule.
German industrial experts, after surveying Australia's mineral resources and geographical environment, couldn't help but marvel at its industrial development potential.
Previously limited by labor shortages, now with a flood of native labor, Australia's industrial development was like a wild horse breaking loose—ready to soar.
To ensure stable resource supply and safety in industrial zones,
Arthur planned to construct a railway based on existing routes—one that would cross five states: Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria—naming it the Industrial Railway.
It would start in the western industrial zone, pass through the capitals of Western Australia (Perth), South Australia (Adelaide), Victoria (Melbourne), and New South Wales (Sydney), all the way to the capital of Queensland (Brisbane).
If completed, this railway would link the five mainland states of Australia and significantly accelerate economic development in the southern region.
However, with a total length exceeding 4,000 kilometers, it was not a project that could be completed in just a few years.
According to conservative estimates from German experts, the railway would take at least ten years to complete and would require an annual investment of no less than two million pounds.
(End of Chapter)
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