The Rise Of Australasia

Chapter 773 - 578: Nicaraguan Civil War_1

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With the implementation of various policies favorable to people with disabilities, there was an outpouring of praise for the royal family and Arthur in the newspapers, as well as appreciation for the government. The people had great admiration for Arthur and the royal family and were very satisfied with the government’s work.

This united the nation, as everyone was deeply concerned about the development of Australasia and filled with enthusiasm for various construction projects, which dramatically increased their zeal for work.

These factors contributed to a very efficient construction effort in the second half of the year in Australasia, and as a result, the development data for 1922 improved quite rapidly.

A few important figures to consider, starting with population growth.

Throughout 1922, the total population of Australasia grew by over 1.4 million, bringing the total population successfully above 25 million. To be exact, there were over 25.27 million people.

An increase in immigrants was one reason, and another significant factor was the high happiness index of Australasians, which meant they still had a strong desire to have children.

Of course, the strict enforcement of the eight-hour work system was also a very important reason. After all, even if people wanted to have children, they needed enough time to do so, right?

According to statistics from the major cities in Australasia, the average urban workday is less than ten hours, which also gives them ample rest time to relieve a day’s fatigue and, incidentally, contribute to the population of Australasia.

Speaking of the 8-hour work system, it is currently the most reasonable way to work. With 24 hours in a day, and after allowing for a minimum of 8 hours for rest, people are left with 16 hours to use as they please.

Although the workday may seem to be only 8 hours, the time spent commuting, as well as various preparations for work, adds up to at least 1 to 2 hours.

The next goals of 200 million and 300 million would be up to the efforts of subsequent monarchs and the desire of Australasians to have children.

Another piece of good news was that Australasia’s economic construction was very powerful.

In 1922, Australasia’s Gross National Product reached 1.3615 billion Australian dollars, which was an increase of 8% compared with the previous year.

Including railway construction, the establishment of industrial bases, and various other infrastructure projects, the large-scale construction plans created a large number of jobs and significantly boosted Australasia’s economic development.

At any time, the economic uplift brought about by infrastructure is immense. If such a growth rate could be maintained, Australasia would completely outperform Italy and rank just behind Britain-France-America, countries with populations much larger than its own.

Thanks to this rapid economic growth, the total fiscal revenue for the government in 1922 also reached a new high, totaling 212.4 million Australian dollars.

The battle for the next year’s fiscal budget was another focal point, as with the growth in fiscal revenue, a new division of financial proportions for each department had to be made.

Fortunately, Australasia could still obtain additional income from the defeated countries of World War I as well as from the United States, so there was no need to worry about the financial situation. The fiscal surplus reached tens of millions of Australian dollars every year, and most of the foreign debt had been paid off, including over half of the £100 million owed to the royal family.

Last year’s total fiscal expenditure slightly exceeded the overall budget by 10 million Australian dollars, ending up at 205 million Australian dollars.

The total fiscal expenditure for this year is not expected to increase and is projected to remain around 205 million Australian dollars, reserving a certain amount for emergency use.

The growth of the industrial scale was also rapid. Australasia’s total steel production has almost reached ten million tons, which barely meets the requirements of an industrial powerhouse in this era.

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