Chapter 68: Hope Of The Second Industrial Revolution
Carlo could see at this point the starkly different attitudes between Maybach and Daimler.
Regarding the identities of these two, Cadillac had already investigated them thoroughly before taking action.
“Mr. Daimler, if you are willing to stay and work in Spain, you and Mr. Maybach can enjoy the same treatment as Mr. Benz, and possess shares in the enterprise where you work.
I will not restrict your personal freedom either. All universities in Spain are open to you. You can study and work at any university in Spain, and your family members can also enter universities to study.
Please believe in my sincerity. In the research of cars and engines, I will not interfere with you in any way, but only provide you with a continuous stream of funds for research.” Maybach clearly did not reject staying and working in Spain. Now, all that was needed was to persuade Daimler, and basically the cooperation of the three founders of the Mercedes-Benz Company could be achieved.
Carlo was also very much looking forward to it. What kind of influence would it have on the car industry if these three people came together ahead of schedule?
“Alright, Your Majesty, it seems I have no choice.” Daimler nodded helplessly and said with a bitter smile: “But I hope Your Majesty can honor what you said, not interfere with our research, and provide us with sufficient research funds.”
What Daimler was most worried about was also Carlo, relying on his identity as king, meddling in their research, which would prevent him from conducting his own research as he wished.
If Carlo was willing to abide by the rule of not interfering in research, then working in Spain would not be so off-putting.
After all, Carlo had also promised treatment for their families, which was indeed attractive for a married man with children.
“Of course.” Carlo nodded with a smile and stated his plan: “Considering that all three of you are involved in engines, I have decided to establish the United Engine Company and give each of you 5% shares to help you with engine research.
The annual research and development funds will not be less than 200,000 pesetas, but the patent rights to your research results belong to the entire company. No problem, right?”
Daimler, Maybach, and Benz looked at each other and all indicated no objections.
They would also possess shares in the company, and when the company made money, they would get a share too. Moreover, for these people engaged in research and development, how much money they made themselves was not that important.
The research and development funds provided by Carlo each year were the best guarantee for them, allowing them to continue investing in the industry they loved. This was more appealing than any subsequent patent rights and dividends.
After successfully winning over the three, Carlo gave a look, and the servant nearby handed a check for 5,000 pesetas in shares to the three.
This was considered a meeting gift for the three, and at the same time, it showed Carlo’s sincerity to them.
Although 5,000 pesetas was not a lot, for Daimler and the other two, it could ensure they were not so strapped for cash when they first arrived in Spain, allowing them to comfortably arrange their own and their families’ lives.
Only when life was stable would they be able to invest in work more easily and efficiently.
After taking the three to the nearby restaurant for a luxurious lunch, Carlo had Cadillac take them to familiarize themselves with the way to their new home.
The addresses arranged for these research-oriented talents were all newly built standalone villas in recent times, and the cost of one villa was actually not too high.
After all, there was no such thing as speculating on housing prices in this era. Except for the houses on the most prosperous streets in Madrid City Center, the houses closer to the outskirts were just so-so.
Even on the outskirts of Madrid, there were many houses built by the public themselves, some looking like slums, so how could housing prices possibly be high.
Compared to purchasing ready-made houses, the public preferred to build their own houses, which was more cost-effective and cheaper.
Speaking of which, the government’s next cleanup target included the slums of Madrid.
Not to mention Spain; currently, all countries in Europe had this phenomenon.
The Industrial Revolution, although it made the entire country more powerful, enriched the capitalists, factory owners, business owners, nobles, and politicians. For commoners, especially those below the middle class, life had not improved much.
In fact, the exploitation of workers by capitalists made ordinary people’s lives even more difficult. How chaotic was Europe at this time?
Salaries were divided into those for male workers, female workers, and child labor. Most commoner families, to make ends meet, had to send men, women, old, and young all out to work.
This was also the reason why many countries, including Spain, had high illiteracy rates.
These families, to survive, had no choice but to send children to factories and other places to work. If they went to school instead, even free schools would mean one less source of family income, making things even worse.
Europeans might look glamorous, but that glamour was only for the affluent classes above the middle class.
True commoners lived no better than in other places. The exploitation by capitalists and factory owners was like a heavy mountain pressing down on all commoners in Europe, making it impossible to breathe.
This was also why Carlo had not paid attention to the progress of literacy campaigns. If the income of Spaniards could not be substantially and effectively increased, the illiteracy rate of Spaniards could not be reduced.
Only when the average annual income of Spaniards gradually caught up with the levels of other European countries would there be hope for significant progress in illiteracy rates.
After successfully winning over Gramme and the other three, Carlo was in an extremely good mood.
Under the impetus of this good mood, Carlo was also very attentive to the establishment of the Royal Electric Research Institute and the United Engine Company.
Electricity goes without saying; electrification itself was one of the most important cores of the Second Industrial Revolution. And engines, that is, internal combustion engines, were another major core of the Second Industrial Revolution.
Getting electricity and engines right would mean Spain would achieve enormous progress in the Second Industrial Revolution.
Of course, because Spain’s population itself was not large, the improvements from the Second Industrial Revolution would not be as huge as in Germany and the United States.
But for Spain itself, it undoubtedly added several points of hope for revival.
If the hope for Spain’s revival through completing reforms was only 30%, then through deeply advancing the Second Industrial Revolution, the hope for revival could be raised to at least 60%.
So what was the goal of Spain’s revival?
Carlo did not know yet.
But Carlo knew that a small great power was not the true demand for him and Spain. In the face of a massive world war, a mid-to-lower level great power often could not determine its own destiny.
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