**Chapter 36**
**Dam and Irrigation (2)**
While designing the dam, I simultaneously worked on the design of the irrigation canals.
The dam itself has many functions, but my main goal is to improve agricultural productivity.
I included space for a hydroelectric power plant in the design for the future, but it’s not feasible right now.
To transport water from the dam using irrigation facilities and distribute it appropriately to the farmland, it’s best to consider it from the design stage.
“The purpose of irrigation is to draw water from the source and supply it to farmland. The key in this process is to control the flow of water appropriately.”
The architects of Ortega Construction were listening to lectures every day at the site.
Many of them even carried notebooks small enough to fit in their pockets to organize my words.
“It starts with drawing water from the source. Until now, this beginning was the obstacle. They used natural slopes or inefficient pumps like hand pumps, chain pumps, and wind pumps. That’s why it was difficult to build a proper irrigation system. But we’re going to use this.”
It’s a reciprocating pump powered by a steam engine. It operates on the same principle as the one used in locomotives, both relying on the “reciprocating” movement, using steam pressure to move a piston.
‘I can use the same parts for the multi-tube boiler, piston, cylinder, valve, and connecting links, which I had mass-produced at the locomotive factory.’
I had planned for this from the time I was planning and designing the locomotive factory.
“In the early days of the steam engine, using it for irrigation was too uneconomical, but now that the steam engine itself can be mass-produced, the production cost has decreased significantly. That’s why this is possible.”
This pump can also be used at mining sites, and it was the key to enabling efficient underground mining.
‘Gold production will increase too.’
“Once we draw water using this device, we’ll transport it through canals. In this process, it’s important to use natural slopes as much as possible to minimize energy consumption. In other words, pipeline design is also important.”
“Your Majesty, I have a question.”
“Ask away.”
“What should we do if too much water is supplied to one farm?”
“That’s a good question. We should control the amount of water properly to avoid that in the first place, but if too much water has already been supplied, we need to use a drainage system. Of course, the farmer will have to pay for the installation of the drainage system. We’ll talk about the installation of drainage systems later.”
Thus, days passed as I repeated the design and lectures on the dam and irrigation, nurturing the architects of Ortega Construction.
***
I participate in the construction of the dam and irrigation facilities during the day, but I manage various businesses after evening.
Darkness has already fallen outside, but my tent is illuminated by several lanterns.
Diego brought letters today.
“Hmm… As expected, the population itself is too small. We’re getting a lot of immigrants, but they’re being assigned to undeveloped areas, so we can’t use them as industrial labor.”
All the businesses were doing well, but they all had one thing in common.
A lack of manpower.
Ortega Construction was the most severe.
There was a huge demand for labor due to the ongoing construction of settlement villages and the railroad construction project, as well as the dam and irrigation project I was starting.
We’re getting a lot of immigrants.
The Minister of Finance came to me and asked me to renew the immigration contract because there were too many immigrants and it was putting a strain on the finances. So, I reduced the incentive from 50 pesos to 40 pesos per 100 families.
The problem is that all those people are going to undeveloped areas.
“Yes, Your Majesty. As you planned, we expect the population to start exploding in just ten years, but we’re short of manpower right now.”
The industrialization of the Mexican Empire had begun. The upper and middle class criollos and mestizos, who had seen me make a fortune by launching various businesses on a large scale, were gradually starting to try their hand at various businesses.
The demand for labor was manageable when I was the only one doing it. But as competitors emerged and the number of people leaving farms began to decrease, we were suffering from a severe labor shortage.
“And the people who leave the farms aren’t coming to the city, they’re going to California, which is also a problem.”
“The rumor that they’ll give you land if you go to California has spread throughout the country.”
The plan to draw manpower from the landowners’ farms was proceeding smoothly, but those farmers weren’t all going to the city.
The fervor of the California Gold Rush had cooled slightly, but instead, the rumor that they would give you undeveloped land if you settled there had spread, and over 30% of the farmers were choosing to go to California.
“If we can’t draw internal manpower, the only option is to bring in more external manpower…”
“External means immigration, right? That’s giving land in exchange for developing undeveloped areas.”
Diego said curiously.
“If you look closely at the contract, it’s just giving land and tax exemption to immigrant families. The condition of giving incentives to immigration companies itself is to give it as long as they meet the number of families.”
“…I see. So, it means that we can bring in immigrants by offering them benefits to come to the Mexican Empire, even if it’s not land.”
Diego understood what I was saying immediately.
“That’s right. We’ve decided to call this ‘urban immigration’. Immigration to undeveloped areas is called ‘pioneer immigration’, and those brought in from Spain to fill the administrative gap are called ‘administrative immigration’.”
I classified immigration into three categories.
Pioneer immigration to develop the vast undeveloped land of the Mexican Empire.
Urban immigration to fill the shortage of industrial labor.
Administrative immigration to fill the severe shortage of administrative personnel. For reference, they need to be able to read and write Spanish and do simple arithmetic.
“Those are appropriate names. But are there any benefits to give to immigrants coming to the city? If it’s not a benefit similar to land, they wouldn’t have any reason to choose the city, would they?”
“There are two things. First, I’m thinking of providing ‘guaranteed employment for ten years’. From our perspective, we’re bringing them in because we’re short of manpower, so there’s nothing to lose, but from the perspective of immigrants coming from abroad, it’s a pretty good condition, isn’t it? Especially if we specify that we’ll pay a wage commensurate with the labor intensity?”
Diego thought for a moment and then replied.
“Hmm. It seems like a good condition from the immigrant’s perspective. But it seems like a much less attractive benefit compared to ‘pioneer immigration’, where you get 100 acres of land for free.”
“That’s right. That’s why there’s one more thing. It’s to give them a house in the city and let them pay for the land and construction costs slowly, interest-free.”
Unlike undeveloped land, which we can give away for free, we can’t give houses away for free. It’s because it requires materials and labor, as well as expensive urban land.
Plus, there’s the issue of fairness. Farmers going to California receive the same benefits as pioneer immigrants. But farmers coming to the city don’t get any benefits.
If we’re going to start urban immigration, we need to give similar benefits to our own citizens who come to the city. Therefore, we can’t give it away for free. We’re going to build them a house and make them pay for the land and construction costs in long-term installments. They won’t be able to find jobs for at least a few decades, so they’ll be able to pay it off eventually.
“First, they’ll be given a house and they’ll pay for it interest-free… It’s a good benefit, but we don’t have that many houses in Mexico right now, do we?”
“We’ll build them. I’m not thinking of giving them single-family homes, but we’ll build multi-family homes and give them a house with about 249 square feet (7 pyeong) per adult family member and 177 square feet (5 pyeong) per child. This way, unlike pioneer immigration, where they have to come as a family, they can immigrate alone, right?”
“For a family of five, that’s 1,029 square feet (29 pyeong). That seems to be a decent advantage compared to pioneer immigration. Urban housing prices are incredibly expensive.”
Recently, as industrialization has progressed, the population has become concentrated in cities. Real estate prices are inevitably rising endlessly, so it’s a very attractive offer.
Diego thought for a moment and then said.
“Hmm… But even if we’re going to build them, Ortega Construction is so short of manpower right now that they don’t have enough manpower to build multi-family homes in the city.”
They’re already overloaded with the construction of settlements, railroads, and dams and irrigation facilities. But there’s a way.
“They’ll come and build them.”
“Yes?”
“When they come, we’ll immediately hire them at Ortega Construction and have them build their own houses. They’ll be building their own homes, so they’ll get paid, what a good deal.”
“….”
“It’s not too bad to live in a tent for a while, is it? I, the Crown Prince, am out here working and living in a tent.”
“Hmm… Yes, that’s true, but…”
“Then write a letter to Reginald right away.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Diego picked up the stationery with a reluctant expression.
***
Ten weeks later, London.
Reginald, the CEO of a London immigration company, opened the letter that had arrived from the company owner.
“What? Urban immigration? Let’s see…”
Reginald read the letter all the way through.
“They want people to go to the city, not to pioneer. The conditions seem pretty good. Liam, take a look.”
Reginald showed the letter to Liam Murphy, an Irishman who worked in the office.
“What do you think, Liam? It seems good, right?”
“Not bad. Pioneer immigration has good conditions, but many people were afraid to go to a completely barren land and start from scratch. There were also rumors that natives sometimes attacked them. But they’re sending them to the city, giving them jobs, and giving them a house first, which they can pay for interest-free? This is pretty good.”
“Wait, wait, natives? Native attacks? Liam, what are you talking about?”
Reginald asked with a serious expression.
“A friend of mine immigrated to California, and he sent a letter a while ago.”
“What exactly did it say?”
“The letter said that the Mexican Empire was keeping its promises, which was good, but the problem was that a group of natives had attacked the settlement a while ago. But the guards of a company called Rios Express repelled them. That’s what it said.”
“Hmm… It’s good that they repelled them, but it’s good to let them know this kind of information. They say that there are small signs before a big event happens.”
Reginald added the information about the native attack to the reply he would send to the Crown Prince.
***
Santa Barbara, California.
“That was once our home…”
“Don’t be sentimental. It’s already Spanish land.”
Mishópshno, chief of the Chumash tribe, said.
“Father, they say they’re now Mexico, independent from Spain. I found out when I went to the mission. Can’t we do that too?”
“Whether it’s Spain or Mexico, nothing has changed for us. But you went to the mission? Why did you do that!”
Mishópshno was startled by his son’s words, grabbed Pakú’s arm, and shook him.
“We can’t live like this forever. It’s not just me. The other young people in the tribe are also tired of being chased away!”
Dozens of settlements had sprung up in recent years. They will soon reach here.
If we keep being pushed north, where will we go? How long can we hold on?
The tribe, which once numbered 20,000, had been reduced to 13,000 due to diseases and oppression brought by the Spanish.
Spanish missionaries forced them to relocate to various places called missions, claiming they would ‘civilize’ them, and there they oppressed the Chumash culture and forced them to work.
Dissatisfaction continued to build, and it erupted in 1824. Many Chumash people revolted and escaped from the missions.
The Chumash tribe, who escaped from the missions, settled in the northeast of their homeland, Santa Barbara, to avoid the eyes of the white people.
“You went there? What if they find out our location?”
“They already know our location. They’re just letting us be because they’ve taken the land they need. If they need more land, they’ll come to where we live now, and we’ll be pushed away again.”
“…So, what are you trying to say.”
“We have no choice but to fight if we want to live in this land. We’ve already identified the enemy’s forces, and we know the location of the armory, Father.”
Pakú’s resolute gaze seemed to have already made a decision.
The youthful spirit of a young man, different from Mishópshno’s, who was approaching middle age.
Pakú left his father’s side after those words and joined the other young men.
It’s no use trying to stop him. They’re no longer listening to Mishópshno.
“Sigh… Hutash, please protect them…”
The god who ruled over nature and the land did not answer this time either.
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