Chapter 118 Crisis (Ⅱ)

Based on the above-mentioned reality, the administrative management system of the colonial government was almost reduced to a mess. Take the Alfheim region as an example. His Excellency the Governor is nominally the supreme leader of this land of more than three million square miles, but what he can really control is the capital, Leiden Harbor. Residents in remote towns don't even know the name of His Excellency the Governor, let alone obey his decrees.

In Alfheim it was even difficult for the colonial government to draw up an accurate and reliable administrative map. More than 60% of the land in the colony is covered by a vast jungle infested with monsters. Last year, a certain town had hundreds of residents, and it seemed to be thriving. Under such circumstances, the colonial government could not carry out effective rule at all, and could only let the outlying villages and towns fend for themselves; without the protection of the colonial government, the rural residents had no choice but to elect local rich and powerful figures to form self-governments. Call the militia to defend the homeland - Derling Town is one of the most typical autonomous towns in the Yalfheim area.

Once the township self-government system has become a tradition, it will inevitably conflict with the higher-level government. Take the Alfheim region as an example, the local residents are all subjects of the Ashan Empire and are obliged to pay taxes according to the laws of the empire. The imperial government could not send tax contractors across the oceans to collect taxes in the New World, so it could only entrust the tax collection power to the colonial government.

The villages and towns of Alfheim are known for their fierce folk customs, and they don't treat the tax collectors from the capital with a good face. In the case of Delin Township, the local council is responsible for tax collection. The tax is theoretically divided into two parts, one part is used as the town’s public expenditure, which is equivalent to “land tax”, and the other part is turned over to the colonial government, which then deducts part of the financial expenditure, and the rest It is turned over to the imperial government, which is equivalent to "national tax". However, in fact, local residents are only willing to pay "land tax", because this part of the tax is used to build roads, bridges, reservoirs, schools and other public facilities, or to buy armor and weapons for the militia. They all admit that these expenses are necessary, and there is no objection to paying taxes for them; as for the "national tax" paid to the colonial capital... Most rural residents have never been to Leiden Port in their lives, and their daily life is completely insulated from the colonial government. They pay the money?

The town council was unable to persuade the townspeople to pay the national tax, and most of the councilors also opposed the payment of this tax, so they had nothing to do with it, as there was no such obligation. If the Port of Leiden sends officials to collect taxes, the mayor will come forward to shirk and perfunctory, and send them away with delicious food and drinks. If the governor expresses dissatisfaction with this, he can only mobilize the army to go to the countryside to collect taxes. However, the militia guard in Delin Town is not easy to mess with. There are less than 2,000 regular troops in Leiden Port. To suppress the tax-resisting mob, I am afraid that the tax collected is not enough to pay the pensions for the casualties. After a simple calculation, the Governor knows that armed tax collection is a loss-making business, so it is better to simply give up collecting taxes from Delin Town.

Tax resistance like Delin Township is a common phenomenon in the entire Yalfheim area. Except for the colonial capital Leiden Port and its satellite towns, most remote towns have not paid a single copper coin of national tax since the day they were established. . Due to the general tax arrears in the rural areas that account for most of the population in the colonies, the colonial capital cannot pay taxes to the imperial government in full. Invest in, and even withdraw, the troops stationed in the colonies to reduce expenditures; the colonial government is short of major generals, equipment and military salaries cannot be guaranteed, and naturally cannot provide perfect security for remote towns and towns within the jurisdiction... thus forming a vicious circle, the imperial authorities and Colonial people are increasingly alienated no matter in the chain of interests or in the connection of emotional bonds.

Today, Delin Township has been in arrears with the colonial government for more than ten years. People have even forgotten that there is such a thing as paying national taxes. It was not until Flint proposed to ask for assistance from the garrison in the capital that people were reminded by Mayor Tyndale. I remember that I still owe a lot of taxes to His Excellency the Governor!

"If your Excellency the Governor unfortunately remembers that Delin Town is a big debtor of national taxes, would you still be willing to send troops to rescue us?"

Mayor Tyndale's question caused heated debate in the square. Mr. Longfellow was the first to speak. He optimistically believed that the Governor, despite his reluctance, would still send troops to save Delin Town—if Delin Town ceased to exist, the arrears of taxes would be completely bad debts; Town, at least there is hope of getting back the money owed.

"Under the current situation, the colonial government, as a creditor, is actually more anxious than our debtors."

Mr. Longfellow's witty remark drew laughter, but except for a very few optimists, everyone did not really agree with his slightly rascal remark.

"It is said that the governor of Norfolk is generous and benevolent, and he must not have the heart to sit by and watch the town of Derlin be destroyed. However, General Gates, the commander of the garrison at Port Leiden, is hard to say. Judging from his usual cold style, I am afraid he will stand by and watch the town suffer. Afterwards, we will be used as a negative example and threaten other townships to pay back taxes.”

Mr. Fidel, MP for Durring, proprietor of the "River Light" Inn, a well-informed gentleman, with a brother in the Governor's House at Port Leighton, was impressed by his opinion of the Governor of Norfolk and of General Gates. People have mixed feelings.

Guillaume Tell paused impatiently on his crutches, and said to Joan: "If you keep arguing like this, don't even think about drawing any conclusions until the day the town is destroyed. We have to talk to Tyndale, time is running out. There are too many, and the most important thing now is to take practical actions instead of meaningless arguments."

Joan fully agreed with grandpa's opinion, took out a piece of copper wire from his pocket, chanted spells proficiently, cast "message technique", and sent the copper wire to grandpa when he was ready.

"Tyndall, too many people talking will only add to the confusion, we can't waste time like this anymore, I want to talk to you and Flint in private!" Old man Tyre spoke unceremoniously at the copper wire, and the copper wire followed It buzzed and trembled, carrying his words to the ears of the mayor and the old dwarf standing in the center of the crowd.

The mayor of Tyndall touched his ears, nodded slightly towards Joan, and then handed over the meeting to another member of parliament to preside over it, leading his two sons through the crowd and walking towards this side. At the same time, the old dwarf came over with his nephew Tom.

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