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The type of Society Add had envisioned was based on what he inferred from his knowledge of Earth's history. The new USSR was to be a Socialist state at its core, with the aim of ensuring economic stability and equality among its people. To prevent the accumulation of wealth at the hands of the few, the government would strictly control the state's resources, both physical and human. As per his design, the USSR was to be similar to the 21st century European Union, but leaning more on the socialist side. Strict regulations and laws had to be imposed to keep companies and businesses in check, and the government had to stay in touch with the people. Only by living up to the people's expectations, could a state remain stable and prosper. However, if for achieving all that, he had to act like a dictator, Add would not hesitate to do that as well.
To help in developing and rebuilding the SRR, Add needed a lot of hands, he had not studied management, nor was he an economist, and he had no interest in being one either. So among the first things he did after officially taking over, was establish a new government body. He recruited volunteering young men and women and had them undergo long training in the learning chambers, mainly on topics like administration, economic and management. He chose people from the common class, as they would best know and understand the problems faced by the general populace. Thanks to the learning chambers, which now numbered a hundred, years worth of learning could be completed in a few weeks.
Within months dozens of aspiring officials and hundreds of clerks were ready to take on their jobs. As a result, he did not have any lack of able hands to undertake this massive task of completely revamping the economic and social structure. The current government of Rigel resembled modern presidential governments, except that there was no house of representatives. Add retained the supreme authority, in all matters regarding the territory. Under him there were the various departments lead by ministers, who directly reported to him. in case he was unavailable, Walter would act as his representative. The overall structure was similar to the governments of the 21st century Earth.
With the inclusion of modern techniques and knowledge of governing perfected over centuries, the newly formed government began its work in full zeal. With their help, the first five year plan was implemented. Unlike the traditional soviet plans which demanded practically impossible rates of development and production quotas, his plan had a more realistic approach. His primary focus was on the areas within a hundred kilometres around Rigel, he did not have the resources or ability to control the entire territory yet. Once this area had been developed to a certain degree, they could then gradually expand their influence and reclaim the entire territory.
As a primary goal of the plan, importance was given on increasing the efficiency and yield of agriculture and mining, which were the two major sectors of Rigel's product output. In the farming sector, imported varieties of crops from other territories helped increased yields. Growing wheat and potato was encouraged, as these were the staple food source for the populace. Cotton was also being grown widely, to support the well doing textile industry. Aside from these a type of tuber similar to the sugar beet, and several oil producing plants were being grown extensively.
Before Add reincarnated into this world, the farmers of his territory were on the brink of collapse. For two years, harsher than usual winters had wrecked havoc on the crops. Wheat production was at an all time low and the farmers were hopeless as to what they would sell to the traders when they came. The last year had especially They barely had enough to feed their own families as it was. In those two years, thousands had starved to death, it was the worst famine in many years. Lord Hector had tried to help his people but even he was helpless, he didn't have enough resources.
Add remembered all these things from the memories he inherited. In this era, agriculture was the backbone of any economy, it was no surprise then that his first choice of focus was this. he immediately set up a government wing; the Ministry for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and tasked them with managing the failing agricultural sector. Officials were trained for hours in the learning chambers and some experienced farmers were also recruited to provide valuable inputs.
Originally, all of the farmlands belonged to the Weismann family. It was a law of the kingdom that only nobles could own farmlands. So the farmers who actually worked on the land were peasants and serfs employed by the Weismann family. In return of their work they could keep a portion of the crops they produced while the rest had to be handed over as tax to the lord.
Add decided to change the system. He leasing the farmlands to the farmers on 10 year terms, during which the Farmers would pay no taxes on the land. They would be provided seeds from the government but the investment in labour were still their own. He also abolished the tradition of taking most of the crop as tax, and instead made it so that the farmers would have to sell seventy percent of their produce to the government at fair rates and would be free to use the remaining crop as they desired. Now, for some reason if their crop failed, they wouldn't be burdened with any taxes. The Ministry for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry would be charged with overseeing the working of this system.
While these reforms were being implemented, it caused great waves among the populace. The famers and peasants were shocked beyond words and many found it impossible to believe. A noble leasing away their lands was unheard of, but as the officials began actually leasing out plots of farmland, many hurried to take this offer. The terms were extremely kind when compared to their current situation and soon hundreds of farmers were lining for getting a lease. Of course not everyone was allowed to get a lease, the officials would check the farmer's background and past records of their production. The most experienced farmers would get the best plots.
While this process was ongoing, the Lord was not idle either. With members from the newly formed ministry in tow, he made tours of the farmlands surrounding Rigel and analysed what exactly the problems were that the farmers were facing. He was not an expert on agriculture but there were many basic things even he did know, and he could always buy some books for more details from the system shop. As expected the poor quality of the soil was the major factor. It was not to say that the soil was barren, but it wasn't suitable for wheat. The people tried using the dung and faeces of the cattle and livestock, they had as manure, but it was not enough in quantity and had little effect.
Next was the problem of irrigation. Rigel had a river flowing less than two kilometres away from it, in the north, called the river Lucent. It flowed down from the ice caps of the great dividing ranges and was quite large, at over 100 metres wide. There were many smaller streams as well. But the topography of the area and the lack of technological development made drawing water from this fairly large river. Firstly, the surrounding land was full of mounds and elevated ground which made making canals and channels to drain water to the fields nearby very challenging.
Even if they were made, the fields were much higher in elevation than the river itself, which meant that water would not flow into the fields. A gain, the farms which were situated even far away from Rigel, in the surrounding villages, had no potential of accessing the river water itself. As such the people depended on crude wells and seasonal rainfall for the irrigation of their crops which was not at all stable and adequate. He had to solve all these problems to stabilise and improve the food production. He first chose to tackle the low productivity of the wheat grown in his territory with the help of a bunch of books on agriculture bought from the system shop.
Wheat grew best in a dry climate and the climate of the territory was moderately dry. So it would not pose much problem to growing wheat here. Potatoes could also grow well with proper availability of water. For increasing the nutrient content of the soil, he taught the farmers to prepare compost from animal and human waste and other organic matter. It would then be used as manure to fertilize the soil and ensure proper growth of the wheat stalks. The ministry of agriculture purchased good quality wheat seeds from traders and gave them to the farmers, to help increase production.
The planting of seeds could be done by simply throwing the seeds by hand in a wide spread way, or more precisely by drilling holes in the soil, but he introduced simple seed drills which could be built in workshops by local metal workers. Next came the watering of the plants. This was very important. The fields had to be watered two to three times during a dry summer season. Winter wheat crops required water only when the seeds were planted. To be safe, one had to water the wheat seeds immediately after planting and once each month during the growing season, but if the area received good and stable rainfall, no watering was needed to be done.
To provide water, steam pump houses were build on the banks of the river and canals were dug to transport the water to the fields. In the course of five years, a network of many canals had been dug to reach as many farmlands of Rigel as possible. Small dams and embankments were built on streams, to slow down flow and retain water. Many wells were also dug and existing wells were deepened, from which water was pumped out also using the steam engines. Many ponds and ditches were dug along slopes to collect rainwater. Thanks to these measures the farmers had enough water for their crops.
A system of crop rotation was also implemented. A crop of Sunflowers would be planted before the spring crop of wheat, which would be followed by legumes such as beans or peas. Once those were harvested, a final crop of corn would be planted. After the corn was harvested, the cycle would being a new. Not only did this system helped sustain the quality of the soils, it also had an added benefit of diversifying the crop produce of the area, sunflower could be used to make oil, corn and wheat were staples which consisted the principle food crops and legumes helped restore the nutrients in soil while also adding a source of plant protein into diets of the people.
The collective result of all these reforms was a explosion in productivity if the land. Over the five year period, with the help of the Red Army clearing monsters and bandits in the region, farming area had increased over twenty fold in the last five years, while yields had increased several folds. The total farmland near and around Rigel had increased from less than 100 square kilometres to around 250 square kilometres.
Not only that the farms around Rigel noted a rise of almost 300% in total grain output from the yearly average of the previous decade, which was so surprising that it ended up making the officials doubt their own calculations. For the first time in a long time, the region had seen such abundant harvests. The yield of potatoes which was quite low before, had also increased drastically making it one of the most common vegetables available.
Live stock such as cows, hens, sheep, pigs etc. was also being reared in large numbers by the people. One animal in particular had proved to be the most successful livestock. It was called the Greygrox. This was a species of reptilian creatures slightly larger than a cow. Their body was shaped like a flattened barrel with a wide head that had a large mouth for gobbling up food and a short but bulky tail where they stored fat. These animals had tough skin with bony plates over their backs which served as their only mean of protection from predators, aside from the fact that they lived in large herds of hundreds of individuals. Even their head was covered in bony scutes which gave them an ugly appearance.
Despite looking like a mutated dinosaur, they were cowardly omnivores with strong stomachs that ate almost anything, from grass to bark of trees, and decaying carcasses to bones, allowing them to survive in all kinds of habitats. All these adaptations while useful in survival and protection against most predators and threats they faced, were unable to save them from humans. These animals were relatively mild mannered and usually chose to run away rather than fight, when threatened. Their meat tasted almost like chicken, and due to the fact that they were cold blooded animals, meant that, as long as their environment was warm enough, they required much less food than other common meat animals like chicken and cattle.
This made them an ideal choice for a stable meat source, and soon the Greygorx were being raised by the hundreds on special ranches outside Rigel. Their thick hides also proved to be good material for making leather products such as armour and boots, which was another plus side to raising these creatures. Overall, it appeared as if the Greygrox had evolved to become the perfect meat source by themselves.
The mining sector had also been extensively reformed. The hills behind Rigel were a treasure trove of minerals, owning to their volcanic past. Dozens of mines now dotted the mountains, excavating huge amounts of ores. The State Mining Corporation (SMC), a government body, had taken complete control of all the mines, and employed a large portion of the state's workforce. The yield of iron alone had increased a hundred fold while other metals like copper were also being excavated in appreciable quantities. The State Geological Survey (SGS) was always on the prowl for new sources of important metals like aluminium, manganese which were relatively rare in the hills.
Aside from these two major sectors many smaller sectors had sprung up, almost all of which had been promoted by the state. For instance, the production of good quality paper was started and its demand soon sky rocketed, given the best paper in this era was little better than rough parchment. Currently the SRR produced the highest quality of paper in Reinglief. Similarly, with the mass cultivation of cotton and other such plants, the clothes industry had also boomed. The sector had also received machines (like more efficient mechanical looms) and techniques from the government at minimum prices, which helped the weavers by a large margin.
Due to all these developments, trade between the SRR and the rest of Reinglief had increased greatly, bringing in valuable currency into the territory. Introduction of standard SI system for measuring, such as the kilogram, the litre, the metre etc. and standardisation of prices on important commodities by the government also helped simplify and facilitate commercial activities.
The old tax systems had been abolished, and new ones were implemented in their place, a Central Reserve Bank was also opened, the very first one on Iseria. Implementation of a myriad of laws to protect and govern the people resulted in an intense crackdown on criminals and crooks, allowing people to feel safe and secure. Many of these concepts were completely new to the people, and hence the government was also undertaking programs to spread the details of these systems to the masses.
The Education system was also rebuilt from the ground up. The literacy rate of the territory could be said to be 1-2% at best. This was a severe problem, and to counter this, state funded public schools were established to teach the populace. The people would mainly be taught the language, simple mathematics, and some other subjects related to their day to day lives. Special focus was given on classes to teach morality and patriotic teachings. As for higher studies, those could wait for the future, not that your average plebeian needed to learn calculus anyway. The teachers for these schools were specially taught in learning chambers, and it was their job to ensure that the populace had the basic ability to contribute to the rapidly developing republic.
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The Arachne Sylvia was bored. She had been sitting in the lobby and eating some cookies. It was early in the morning, and Add had sent maid to call Sylvia, he wanted to her to accompany him on a trip. The person in question however was nowhere to be seen. She had been waiting for half an hour now, the only thing keeping her irritation at bay were the cookies which she found very delicious. When she had finished all the cookies and was wondering if she should ask for another serving, the Marshall finally arrived.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting. I was held up by some matters."
Unlike his usual simple clothes, Add was currently dressed in a formal full dress military uniform. A stand collar white shirt, a black tie, and a pair of straight black trousers. His hands were covered in white gloves while ankle high black leather boots covered his feet. Finally, there was a military overcoat which reached till above the knees, and the iconic officers' hat sat on his head. The hat and the overcoat were also black and had silver borders, the latter also had a pair of epaulettes on its shoulders and a golden badge with the state symbol engraved on it, hung at its chest. The state symbol was the usual hammer, sickle and star surrounded on both sides by two ears of wheat.
This was the uniform of the Lord Marshall of the Soviet Union whose design, Add had personally overseen. He wanted to keep it simple, while still maintaining the innate charisma that uniforms possessed. The uniform complimented his lean and handsome features very well, the maids occasionally took glances at him, with reddish faces, while the male servants could only sigh in sorrow of not being born with such features. Sylvia too was impressed, albeit her interest was more in the clothes than the man himself. The various types clothes of both men and women intrigued her inner weaving instincts, there was so much for her to learn.
"What do you need from me?"
She asked getting up, the next plate of cookies would have to wait for next time.
"I have to do some important tasks today, so I thought I would take you along to have a view of the place. That is if you want to, or you can just stay back."
"No I will accompany you. After all, this queen is also interested in learning more about human society."
"Then let's get going."
Outside, a carriage was already waiting. While not as comfortable as the jeep they had previously travelled in, for a carriage it was very comfortable and less bumpy. Today, Add was visiting the new city which was under construction for five years now. The continuous work was sucking up a sizeable portion of the state's earnings, but it was a necessary sacrifice. As they travelled towards the city, Sylvia was constantly gazing at the various things outside, and asking questions. Add who was going through some documents, would occasionally explain about them to her. About an hour later, they reached the new city.
On the outskirts, a large board was erected beside the road which said, "Welcome To Leningrad". Indeed that was the name, Add had chosen for the city to honour not only Lenin himself, but also the millions of people who died in the city's defence during world war II. The city was connected to Rigel by a wide paved road, and there were many carriages and people travelling on it. designed in the form of a circle it currently boasted a radius of five kilometres, with plans to increase the size in the future. It was divided into various tightly packed and compact districts as well.
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