Chapter 73: Population Issues and Indigenous Labor
"Your Highness, due to Australia's current shortage of workers and laborers, we are unable to carry out large-scale railway and highway construction projects. So, last year, our primary goal was to repair city streets and build connecting roads between key areas and cities," Minister Conraight stood and replied.
Road construction was already a massive undertaking—especially considering Australia's complex terrain.
Coupled with the disadvantage of a small population, the country simply didn't have enough manpower to launch a full-scale national infrastructure campaign. As a result, the Transportation Department focused mainly on renovating existing city roads and building roads connecting industrial zones and critical areas.
Arthur frowned slightly and rubbed his temples.
Population was currently one of the biggest constraints on Australia's development. Although immigration from Europe helped alleviate this issue somewhat, it was far from a complete solution.
What Australia truly lacked—desperately—was a large base of lower-class laborers to serve as the workforce behind its industrialization and infrastructure efforts.
Most European immigrants filled the role of average citizens. If they were excessively exploited, it would only reduce their support for the government and disrupt social stability.
What was needed was a population from abroad that was large, exploitable, and could be used without causing unrest. These were the real conditions necessary for boosting Australia's growth.
For the time being, the only nearby sources capable of meeting Australia's labor needs were its own colony of New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies in Southeast Asia.
New Guinea's indigenous population was under one million—useful, but not enough to solve the bigger labor problem. In contrast, the Dutch East Indies had tens of millions of indigenous people.
The Dutch East Indies boasted vast land, but unlike Australia, it was densely populated. Estimates suggested that its native population was close to forty million.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands, which ruled the colony, had just over five million people—barely more than Australia.
Worse still, the Netherlands was located far from the East Indies, which made it difficult to maintain control over the vast territory. Aside from key regions like Java and Borneo, much of the archipelago was only weakly governed.
The Dutch maintained their grip largely thanks to British support and the balance-of-power strategies of other colonial empires.
Arthur had no immediate interest in seizing these lands—he preferred not to stir trouble until Europe was fully engulfed in war.
However, purchasing a portion of the indigenous population for labor? That seemed entirely feasible. The natives of the Dutch East Indies had their own religions and cultures, making Dutch governance especially difficult.
And from the Dutch perspective, that massive native population was also a burden. If some of them could be converted into revenue, why not?
With this in mind, Arthur turned to Minister Andrew and instructed, "Minister Andrew, have the Foreign Office reach out to the Netherlands. See if we can arrange to import indigenous labor from the Dutch East Indies. If they're willing, we can sign a treaty. In return, we'll provide them with a significant payment and political support for their rule over the region."
Australia was an unusual force in Southeast Asia. Its proximity to the region gave it easy access, and its strong ties with Britain and Germany gave it influence.
If Arthur really wanted to sway regional dynamics—especially to affect Dutch control over the East Indies—it wouldn't be out of the question.
So his offer would appeal to the Dutch. The East Indies were resource-rich and lucrative, and the Dutch government would naturally want to maintain its grip.
"Yes, Your Highness. I'll contact the Dutch immediately," Minister Andrew replied, instantly understanding Arthur's intent.
Due to its limited population, Australia's natural rate of development would require decades to catch up.
But if it could import large numbers of indigenous laborers, it could rapidly accelerate construction and industrial progress.
Even if that came at the cost of hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of native lives, who would truly care?
Every great European empire had risen on a foundation of blood and exploitation. If Australia could shift that cost onto foreign natives, it would be all the better for Australians.
"Transportation's main task this year will be constructing inter-state highways. That will also be the department's main objective in the coming years. I want to strengthen the connections between our states and improve the country's logistics and economic efficiency," Arthur continued.
"Yes, Your Highness," Minister Conraight responded quickly.
"Has the industrial department met its goals? I remember requesting that our steel production triple. Have we reached that target?" Arthur turned to Minister Pierre and asked.
He was referring to the Industrial Three-Year Plan established in a previous meeting.
Under Arthur's directive, the department had to triple its 1899 figures: 3,700 tons of steel and 5,000 tons of iron, aiming for 100,000 tons and 140,000 tons in the long term.
A year had passed, so by now, production should have reached at least 11,000 tons of steel and 15,000 tons of iron.
"Your Highness, although it's only been a little over six months since the plan was implemented, the industrial department has essentially met your expectations. Thanks to the newly established industrial zones, our steel mills now produce over 13,000 tons of steel and 19,000 tons of iron per year—slightly exceeding the targets. With continued development and a growing workforce, we believe it's possible to hit 40,000 tons of steel and 50,000 tons of iron by the end of the year," Minister Pierre said with a smile.
The industrial department was one of the most crucial and heavily tasked branches of the government. But thanks to the £50 million worth of industrial equipment Arthur had brought back from Britain, development wasn't nearly as difficult as expected.
Especially with assistance from both Britain and Germany, Australia's industrial growth had entered a favorable upward trend.
All that was required now was to apply British and German technologies and experiences to Australia's conditions in order to ensure success.
(End of Chapter)
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