Chapter 286: Worker Reassignment
Ernst casually mentioned an idea that amused Mein somewhat – making a bet on firearms design despite not knowing much about guns. But if the boss insisted, there was nothing he could do. His responsibility as the factory director was simply to keep a close eye on the Mauser brothers' work; if he found any flaw, he would reject their proposal. That was his duty.
Though Mein himself didn't know much about designing firearms (he lacked the imagination), he approached guns with a very strict eye. His rigor and meticulousness were precisely why he became factory director.
"Your Highness, if their design plan is defective, I won't let it pass," Mein warned.
Ernst replied, "Mr. Mein, that's exactly where you can help. I trust your twenty-some years of experience will guide them through that final step."
"On your behalf, I'll give these young men a chance. If they truly have talent, I'll gladly support them," Mein conceded.
…
In the Far East, at the Jiaozhou Textile Mill:
"East Africa's textile factories are hiring. Good wages, meals and lodging included. You can bring your entire family to live in East Africa. It's a fantastic opportunity—anyone interested, raise your hand!" Factory Director Carlton announced at an employee meeting.
But no one raised their hand. Although the Jiaozhou Textile Mill's pay wasn't great, it was stable. The workers had no desire to travel thousands of miles to some unknown East Africa.
"If nobody wants to volunteer, then we'll have to draw lots to choose people," Carlton said. "It's an order from our higher-ups—if you won't go willingly, you'll just have to trust your luck. Whoever gets picked, your whole family goes to East Africa. If you refuse, you can quit now."
This caused an uproar among the factory employees, who'd been calm a moment before. East Africa was unfamiliar and far away; who knew what it would be like there or if they'd ever return?
A worker mustered some courage and asked, "Director Carlton, why do we have to go to East Africa?"
Carlton answered, "Because East Africa needs people—especially textile workers. You know the investor in the Jiaozhou Mill is the Hechingen royal family, and that same family rules the Kingdom of East Africa. So it's the factory's decision, also the royal will."
"But can we be sure of fair treatment once we go there? If we're abroad, we can't call for help…" Another person complained.
Carlton laughed, "Are you certain you're guaranteed anything here at home? In fact, going up north, you'd find British-invested factories in Yantai. Ask around how British owners treat Chinese workers—your local officials never even say a word about it. Same goes here in Jiaozhou. Frankly, our wages are higher than normal in the Far East, solely because His Highness Ernst is kind."
Those words silenced the workforce. Indeed, conditions were what they were; in these parts, if foreigners wanted to mistreat you, they could. And a foreign factory director like Carlton outranked local officials, so if he truly wanted to bully them, there was little recourse.
Seeing the workers' silence, Carlton said, "Once you arrive in East Africa, you'll become East African citizens. They have well-established laws guaranteeing your rights—in principle, everyone's equal under the law. You needn't fear the public order there. Another plus: East Africa's cost of living is stable and cheap—unlike here, where prices fluctuate. With the same pay, your life will cost even less. Plus, the wages in East Africa are higher than in the Far East."
"Director Carlton, if it's so wonderful, why not hire people from your own country instead of coming all the way here to recruit us?" someone asked.
Carlton replied, "To you, it's a great offer, but for us, it's only average, so it doesn't attract many people. They prefer other professions. That's why we're here: because your wages are lower. The Jiaozhou Textile Mill was also built for that reason."
He was blunt: in this era, that was simply reality. Some in the Far East barely got two meals a day, even in modest households.
"Enough talk. Anyone feel differently now—willing to go to East Africa on your own? Don't worry—your worth isn't so high that you'll get assigned a different job. You'll stay in the textile sector," Carlton said, seeing no volunteers.
When nobody responded, he sighed, "All right, then we'll draw lots. Seems the fairest. If you're lucky, you'll go to East Africa; unlucky, you'll remain here."
In the end, the factory used a lottery to pick over 3,000 workers for East Africa, even if they didn't want to go.
"Director Carlton, we really can bring our whole family there? Is that true?" one worker asked.
"Of course. We'll make sure they have housing and work as well."
"Huh—why didn't you say that earlier?"
Carlton shrugged, "Didn't I? I assumed you knew—it's common knowledge in East Africa."
But he had indeed forgotten. Coming from East Africa, he automatically believed everyone knew how it worked.
Once the employees heard that, they were elated. At least if their family also had housing and jobs, going so far from home wouldn't be such a bad thing.
"But let me clarify," Carlton warned, "unless your relatives have specialized skills—like carpentry or masonry—then they'll end up being ordinary farmers in East Africa."
That prospect still sounded fine to them. Some people couldn't even find a place to farm here. They might end up renting from landowners and still be exploited.
"Director, is farming there the same as here?"
Carlton shook his head, "Not quite. It's more like being a worker on a payroll."
"Meals and lodging included?"
"Yes."
"That's great. We're not afraid of hard work. We can handle it in East Africa."
…
East Africa's aim in recruiting Chinese textile workers was to offset the influx of Italian textile laborers. A newly planned textile factory in Nairobi was now inundated with Italians, nearly turning it into an Italian city. So East Africa needed other immigrants to dilute the Italians. Therefore, they summoned a portion of Jiaozhou's textile workforce to mix them in with the Italians at the same plant.
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