Chapter 180: Chapter 174: Stable Reconstruction, Turbulent Situation


    On December 1,1903, with the help of Arthur, New Zend received a loan of two million pounds from Australia to rebuild the economy and various infrastructures after the disaster.


    To demonstrate the good rtionship between Australia and New Zend, the loan was interest-free with a repayment date set for twenty yearster.


    The news was widely publicized in New Zend newspapers, promoting the prosperous rtions between Australia and New Zend.


    Indeed, due to this huge amount of funds, New Zend’s rebuilding work progressed smoothly, with towns and pastoral areas systematically reconstructed.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    On December 3, Arthur designated November Sth, the day the typhoon had madendfall in New Zend, as the annual Disaster Memorial Day and established a Disaster Memorial Monument at Opunaki, the first point of the typhoon’s arrival.


    Engraved on the monument were clear details about the exact time and location the typhoon urred and the full extent of the damage and injuries caused by the disaster in New Zend.


    On the day the monument was established, Arthur attended the ceremony and personally expressed his condolences to all New Zenders.


    This move won the hearts of all New Zenders as Arthur had provided immediate assistance during the disaster and swiftly arrived in New Zend.


    As members of the Australian royal family and the Governor of New Zend, both Arthur and the New Zend government donated funds, and arge number of personnel and resources were mobilized from Australia to save as many New Zenders as possible from the catastrophe.


    Arthur’s attention to New Zend made the people feel the joy of having an excellent ruler.<div>


    There was a growing sentiment among the residents of New Zend, wishing that Arthur could be their monarch.


    Although Arthur is currently the Governor of New Zend, his termsts only twenty years, with New Zend still nominally under the administration of the British Empire.


    Arthur’s Australia, with its unstoppable growth momentum, has already achieved more than the historical peak of New Zend’s development.


    Moreover, the different attitudes of Australia and the British Empire toward the disaster in New Zend gradually changed the thoughts of most New


    Zenders.


    On December 13,1903, Arthur merged the Advisory Council with the House of Commons in New Zend and renamed the Commons as the House of Representatives.


    At the same time, Grant and Joshua were appointed as lifetime members of the Upper House.


    The Legitive Council was the Upper House of New Zend, appointed directly by the Governor of New Zend and serving for life.


    As one could tell from the name, the Legitive Council’s functions included drafting and revising existingws in New Zend and overseeing the powers of New Zend officials.


    No changes had been made to the Legitive Council since Arthur took office as Governor of New Zend.


    There were six members in the Legitive Council, including Garrison Commander Piers, Grant, and Joshua, with the remaining three being lifetime members appointed by the previous Governor.


    Fortunately, these three expressed their utmost obedience to Arthur, aware that their fates remained in his hands, even as the Governor of New Zend.


    This was, in fact, a counter-bncing measure by the British Empire for self- governing colonies like New Zend.


    In colonies like New Zend, the Governor’s position was equivalent to that of a head of state, representing the British Royal Family and the King.


    The Governor was appointed directly by the King of Britain and not elected from among New Zenders, which meant that the policies enacted would favor the British Empire since everyone knew who their boss was.


    This situation actually benefited Arthur, who, as an irreceable Governor of New Zend, held vast powers in the country, with no individual or power in New Zend able to resist his authority.


    Perhaps Military Commander Piers could have been considered an exception, but he was acutely aware of his abilities and had yet to engage in any conflict with Arthur.


    Under the premise that every New Zend government official was intelligent, no one obstructed Arthur’s merger of the Advisory Council and the House of Commons, which essentially allowed Arthur to infiltrate the Lower House with a substantial number of loyal followers.


    As New Zend’s reconstruction work stabilized, its political situation grew increasingly turbulent.<div>


    On December 17, a member of the Alliance Party delivered a speech in his hometown that shook the entire nation. He extolled Arthur’s greatness and advocated that New Zend should join Australia, just like it had sixty years ago.


    The member unveiled detailed development records of various Australian states from the time before Australia’s independence up to thetest summary of the third quarter of the current year. Amidst the data was a reality— Australia’s six states all underwent high-level, rapid development, and they had advanced far beyond New Zend.


    Of course, what the New Zenders paid attention to was another reality confirmed by this data.


    Australia achieved parallel development in its six states, and even in the smallest popted state of Tasmania, people’s living standards had improved significantly.<div>


    While Tasmania had the smallest poption, its rapid and effective economic growth was evident.


    After building hospitals, schools, nursing homes, orphanages, and highways, life in Tasmania and people’s ies experienced explosive growth, with the current per capita annual ie reaching fifteen pounds, exceeding that of New Zend.


    Not to mention the Australian maind’s other states due to their rich mineral resources, the development of the five states on the Australian continent has been swift. The state with the lowest per capita ie, South Australia, has already exceeded fourteen pounds.


    This ie level has made the people of New Zend envious. From the time New Zend separated from Australia, the highest per capita ie was only sixteen pounds, and it has been gradually decreasing with the downturn in the New Zend economy.


    Especially after this typhoon, the impact on New Zend’s economy would be severe, and its per capita ie would face a cliff-like decline.


    ording to bold predictions by some New Zend newspapers, per capita annual ie at the end of 1903 in New Zend would fall to eleven pounds.


    Things didn’t seem to be getting better. The most significant impact would certainly be felt in 1904, with estimates for the per capita annual ie of New Zenders in 1904 not expected to exceed eleven pounds; maintaining it at ten pounds would already be a rtively good result.