Chapter 36 The People's Will
"Let's go, Minister Thomas. That ahead looks like the Royal Relief Committee's distribution site. Since we're already here, we might as well take a look," Arthur said with interest after noticing the crowds gathered down the street, people seemingly lining up for something.
"Yes, Your Highness," Minister Thomas immediately replied, respectfully following.
At the front of the crowd, several committee officials were busy registering recipients and distributing food in an orderly manner.
Though just by eye it appeared that thousands were in line, what was remarkable was how well-organized they were. The lines, three in total, stretched from central Sydney all the way down to Port Road in the south.
Even more surprising, Arthur noticed no pushing, shoving, or cutting in line. Though people were anxious, they were still polite. Poor, yet respectful. Occasionally, some strong men would even make way for elderly people behind them.
"Thomas, is this also the work of your Public Security Ministry? To keep this many people in such order during a relief distribution with no chaos at all—that's impressive. It seems your results go far beyond what I expected," Arthur said, surprised at the orderly scene before him.
"No, no, Your Highness, this isn't the Ministry's doing—it's your doing!" Thomas quickly shook his head and explained, "Everyone knows it's Your Highness who arranged for the food distribution. Most people are simply full of joy and gratitude, lining up willingly. The few selfish ones who try to cut in are quickly scolded by others who respect you. That's why the lines are so calm."
Arthur suddenly understood. He hadn't realized how much influence he had already gained in Australia. Seeing this orderly crowd filled him with a deep sense of pride and determination.
"His Highness is here!"
"Long live His Highness!"
Eventually, some sharp-eyed people noticed Arthur's arrival. Abandoning their places in line, they rushed toward him, cheering with excitement and fervor.
"Long live His Highness!"
Thousands of emotions condensed into a single cry. That was the feeling in the air. In the eyes of the Australian people, a monarch who reduced their taxes and handed out food for free was worthy of boundless love.
"My friends, I know some of you came from the British Empire, some from France, some from Germany, or even other parts of Europe. But now you are in Australia, this beautiful land. So tell me—who waived most of your taxes? Who gave you free food during your most difficult times, so you wouldn't have to worry about going hungry?" Minister Thomas had climbed onto a raised platform near the distribution officials, addressing the crowd loudly.
As someone who rose from a minor official to colonial governor, Minister Thomas was a skilled speaker. He seized the opportunity to curry favor with Arthur.
Smart men understood Arthur cared deeply about his reputation and the respect he earned among Australians. So Thomas played along, using this grand occasion to promote Arthur's good deeds.
Thomas's eloquence was impressive, but perhaps even more so was the crowd's satisfaction with Arthur's leadership thus far.
Following Thomas's two rhetorical questions, shouts of "His Highness!" and "Long live His Highness!" rang out across multiple nearby streets.
A glint of satisfaction flashed in Arthur's eyes, though he kept his expression calm and signaled the crowd to quiet down. Then he spoke:
"My people, as your monarch, this is my duty and my obligation. Australia is a great nation, and Australians are a great people. I hope we can move forward together, hand in hand, and raise Australia to the summit of the world, where Australians shall stand at the peak of the world!"
"Long live His Highness!"
"Long live Australia!"
There's nothing more comforting than having a monarch who truly loves his people and his nation—at least, that's how the modern Australians felt.
If there were a way to measure public sentiment, Arthur was confident his approval rating would be above 80%. At the very least, half of the 1.2 million people receiving food aid would become his supporters.
"How is the food distribution going? How many people have received food today?" Arthur asked the officials in charge once the crowd quieted.
New South Wales was the most populous state in Australia, but not the one with the highest poverty levels.
Immigration patterns in New South Wales differed from other regions. Immigrants here were typically formal settlers from Europe, with better education and skills, resulting in higher average incomes.
In contrast, states like Western Australia attracted gold prospectors—many of whom ended up as miners living hand to mouth. While a few struck it rich, most remained laborers under harsh conditions.
"Your Highness, as of now, the food aid campaign has been running for two days. In Sydney alone, we've distributed over 9,300 portions. Additionally, three particularly impoverished families received extra rations," the official reported.
Normally, each person could only receive one portion. However, in cases of extreme poverty, it was acceptable to provide extra assistance at the discretion of the officials.
These assessments were made by the distribution staff on the spot. Generally, if someone clearly fell into the category of extreme poverty, they were given extra help without hesitation.
After all, Arthur wasn't distributing food for profit—he was doing it to build his name and reputation. A little extra expense was worth the goodwill.
As a result, the campaign was organized with the principle of "better to give out 1,000 extra portions than miss a single person," and additional supplies were prepared accordingly.
"Good. In addition to food distribution, make sure to record the names and addresses of every recipient. There will be many more relief policies in the future, and we'll rely on this information," Arthur instructed.
Because Australia didn't yet have a proper identification system, it was extremely difficult to locate people in need.
So the Relief Committee came up with a simple solution—record names and addresses during distribution. This way, future aid could be delivered much more effectively.
(End of Chapter)
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