<h4>Chapter 120: The Dark Ages</h4>


    Who would have thought that in the factories of capitalists, there were three or four-year-old childborers? And it’s not just one or two, but hundreds or even thousands of them.


    The lifespan of these childborers usually did not exceed twenty years. Entering the dark and harsh factories at such a young age subjected their bodies to severe abuse.


    Among these, the situation was most insane in the United Kingdom. As the birthce of the Industrial Revolution, the United Kingdom had a small poption and limitedbor force. In order to reduce costs, capitalists turned their attention to women and children.


    The wages of one adult male worker could hire two female workers or employ 3 to 7 childborers, with lower wage expenses for younger children.


    Compared to adults, childborers were easier to manage and suppressing strikes was simpler. Many factories with less demandingbor intensity were filled with arge number of childborers.


    The sources of these childborers were diverse. Some came from impoverished families who, out of desperation, sent their children to work in factories. Others were purchased from trade markets.


    Yes, at this time, childbor was also treated as amodity. Orphanages, charitable organizations, and human traffickers were thergest sellers, and a small percentage of children were even sold by their parents.


    The blood-stained factories were the most urate reflection of this era’s society.


    On one hand, they profited insanely by exploiting childbor, and on the other hand, they portrayed themselves as gentlemen, donating to the church and investing in education under the pretense of supporting impoverished students.


    Franz couldn’t be bothered toment on it. He didn''t believe that capitalists were so benevolent. Just take a look at the hidden profits in these private schools, and it bes apparent.


    The advanced nature of the capitalist political system was something that would only be realized in the future. In this era, capitalist systems within countries were often even more exploitative than the feudal nobility.


    Since the minimum wagew was enacted in Austria, the interest of Austrian capitalists in childbor has significantly decreased, which is also rted to the national conditions.


    Austria was just beginning to industrialize, and the demand forbor wasn’t too high, while there was an abundance of the workforce.


    After the implementation of the Minimum Wage Law, capitalists found that the wages they had to pay to childbor had significantly increased and were not much lower than those for adults. This reduced the appeal of employing childbor.


    Especially after the government bankrupted several typical cases directly due to vitions, everyone remembered that Austria also had a Minimum Wage Law.


    Prime Minister Felix jokingly said, “Your Majesty, since we implemented the Minimum Wage Law, the number of homeless children in the country has dramatically increased. Now, the government has be the world’srgest daycare center.


    ording to our statistics, as of three days ago, we have taken in a total of 38,600 children, and this number is still increasing.


    It seems that capitalists are ready to give up using childbor, and now they need us to clean up the mess for them.”


    On the surface, taking in so many orphans may be seen as a burden for the government, but politically, it’s very beneficial.


    In ancient Austria, the nobility was deeply influenced by the knightly spirit, and as long as it didn’t affect their own interests, they were willing to showpassion to the weak.


    Now, the Austrian government stepping in to shelter these homeless children puts them in a morally advantageous position in public opinion and also allows them to condemn the heartless capitalists.


    Being a “ck-hearted capitalist” in Austria is a form of political correctness. As the industrial revolution advances, the power of the bourgeoisie will rapidly grow.


    Currently, the Austrian government relies on the aristocracy to suppress the bourgeoisie, but in the future, they may not be able to keep them in check. The growing bourgeoisie, with increased strength, will sooner orter reach out for political power.


    Preparing in advance to limit the bourgeoisie is indeed very necessary.


    After all, these are all facts, and the media’s job is to expose social realities.


    The more scandals and the worse the reputation of the capitalists, the more advantageous it is for the Austrian government. In the future, if the bourgeoisie dares to cause trouble, Franz doesn’t mind letting them experience what the “Iron fist of the Austrian people’s dictatorship" is all about.


    Franz thought for a moment and said, “Let’s leave this issue to the Ministry of Education. Count von Thun und Hohenstein, recruit enough teachers as soon as possible and get these homeless children intopulsory education.


    The government will establish orphanages in major cities specifically for housing homeless children. Some impoverished families cannot afford to raise their children, and those children can be sent to these facilities.”


    That’s about all he could do. Afterpletingpulsory education, apart from the one percent of geniuses who could continue to secondary school, these children would have to enter society.


    Reality was indeed very harsh. Even afterpletingpulsory education, these children would only be around twelve or thirteen years old. In the eyes of future generations, it would be seen as childbor exploitation.


    Unfortunately, this was the time of the first industrial revolution, and factories worldwide were driven by the need to umte primitive capital. Compared to children as young as three or four working in factories, this was considered progress.


    ……


    The most important aspect of anyw is its enforcement. Compulsory education had be the highest priority national policy of the Austrian government, and therefore, cracking down on the use of childbor by capitalists became an inevitable choice.


    Banning childbor entirely was an impossible task. Not only would capitalists resist it, but the lower-ie families would also struggle toply.


    In this era, having many children wasmon among ordinary people. Some families had five or six children, and others even had a dozen or more. How could they afford to raise them all?


    If it weren’t for Franz’s understanding of the social situation and the government’s willingness to bear all the expenses ofpulsory education, blindly enacting apulsory educationw could have led to another tragic situation for many families.


    Vienna.


    As the heart of Austria and the birthce of the Labor Protection Law, the Minimum Wage Law also began its promotion from here.


    After the suppression of the Hungarian uprising, the Austrian Empire entered a period of rtive peace. The government abolished local tariffs, ended serfdom, and opened up vast rural markets. Vienna’s industrial andmercial sectors began to flourish.


    However, Daniel, the owner of a hydraulic cotton spinning mill, did not feel pleased despite the growing daily orders. As thergest victim of the Minimum Wage Law, his cotton spinning factory had a rtively lowbor intensity.


    With the use of machinery, the physical and technical requirements for workers had decreased. All they needed to do was to handle the threading and cutting of the cotton threads.


    In order to reducebor costs, Daniel had naturally learned from the sessful experience of his British counterparts and extensively hired cheaperbor,women and children, to work in his factory.


    However, that was no longer an option now. With the Minimum Wage Law in ce, childbor in Austria was no longer a cheap option.


    Althoughbor costs were low during this period, and even though they had substantial profits despite the increase inbor expenses, the greed of capitalists knew no bounds.


    Directly viting thew was something Daniel dared not do. Real-life examples were right in front of him. One of hispetitors had been fined to the point of bankruptcy by the Austrian government for ignoringbor protectionws.


    Looking at the factory manager he had “generously” hired, Daniel asked, “Vincent, do you have any way to reduce ourbor costs?”


    “Sir, how about we switch to a piecework system and set tasks that the workers can''tplete, and then deduct their wages?” Vincent suggested cunningly.


    Daniel shook his head and said, “It won’t work. I''ve consulted with awyer, and the government’s reference standards are set by state-owned enterprises. If we exceed these standards with a piecework system, we have no right to deduct wages.


    Even if we sign contracts, it won’t help. The Austrian government will deem them invalid contracts, and we’ll face fines starting at a minimum of a thousand times the amount, with no upper limit.”


    Since the March Revolution erupted, the Austrian government had be increasingly hostile towards capitalists, and their previous connections held no sway anymore.


    Now, even Daniel spoke with caution. If this had happened in the past, he would have already mobilized with his fellow industrialists to resist such measures, but now he dared not.


    If the Austrian government deemed him part of a conspiracy, his head could be on the chopping block in no time. The recent purge in Vienna, which had urred a few months ago, was still fresh in his memory.


    If he hadn’t been fortunate enough to fall ill during that period and missed attending the gatherings of capitalists, he might not have been able to continue his work here now.


    Capital knows no borders but that’s something for the future. In this era, capitalists dare not move recklessly. Without powerful connections, relocating to a foreign ce could lead to yourplete downfall.


    Despite his deep dissatisfaction with the Austrian government, Daniel continued doing business in Vienna. If the profits were slightly lower, so be it. Taking risks was not an option.


    Compared to Western European countries like Britain and France, Austria had rtively harmoniousbor costs. After all, Austria was an exporter of grain, and the cost of living was lower, with an amplebor force.


    In the capitalist world, the highest average wages were in London, about one-third to one-half higher than Vienna’s, even after Austria implementedbor protectionws.


    Where there are policies from above, there are countermeasures from below.


    Daniel still considered ways to reducebor costs, such as cutting overtime pay, deducting time for workers to use the restroom, and deducting time when the machinery stopped running.


    These were standard practices. More cunning capitalists even ced free restrooms several kilometers away from the factory and set up paid restrooms within the factory premises.


    Some capitalists went further by making shoddy work uniforms and selling them to workers at high prices.


    With expensive work uniforms, high-priced food naturally followed. Capitalists prohibited workers from bringing their own food into the factory and then profited by selling them overpriced food.


    ……


    In short, as long as they could think of it, capitalists would do anything to reducebor costs.