The Rise Of Australasia
Chapter 549: Chapter 431: Various Changes and Tense Battles_2

After all, a large amount of materials and resources were exported, making a substantial increase in fiscal revenue quite reasonable.

It should be noted that even Arthur's royal financial group paid over 20 million Australian dollars in taxes to the government in 1915.

And the income of the royal financial group is even more exaggerated, with a total income of approximately 107.5 million Australian dollars in 1915, not much different from fiscal revenue and the government.

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Of course, taxes are relatively heavy for large factories and enterprises in Australasia.

However, for common people and those with middle and low incomes, the government's taxation is relatively low, which is also why Australasians are very approving of the government.

Arthur does not care about this either. After all, he can freely mobilize both the royal financial group's funds and the government finance, and in reality, it is just a matter of transferring from the left hand to the right hand.

If Arthur is willing, the government can even exempt the royal financial group from tax. But there is not much need for this, and the special status of the royal financial group may cause some controversy.

Imagine that when people receive such news, even the monarch and the royal family are not willing to pay taxes to the government, how could people be willing to pay taxes to the government wholeheartedly?

At that time, tax evasion, tax leakage, and tax theft would pile up, causing trouble for the government and social stability.

Under the premise of the government's high fiscal revenue, the growth of fiscal expenditure is actually not small either.

In 1915, the total fiscal expenditure of the government was about 112 million Australian dollars, with a fiscal surplus of as much as 12.5 million Australian dollars.

This year's fiscal expenditure increased by nearly 15 million Australian dollars compared to last year, mainly because a new round of warship construction plan has been launched, along with various military expansions and the consumption of waging war.

If half of the military spending were not borne by the British, the fiscal expenditure might have increased further, and might even face a fiscal deficit.

Apart from the military industry, the growth rate of other industries in Australasia is also not slow.

Currently, the most popular industrial products in Australasia, aside from weaponry ammunition in the military industry, include steel helmets, activated carbon gas masks, custom military uniforms, cotton-padded clothes, military boots, and mouse traps.

Yes, mouse traps are also one of the most urgently needed supplies in the European frontline army. This is because the war in Europe has entered a war of attrition, with trench warfare as its main form.

Both parties dug trenches, and inside them, a large number of rats and other animals, including fleas that troubled and irritated many soldiers.

It is precisely for this reason that mouse traps and flea medicines have become one of the most scarce supplies on the frontline battlefield, even more important than weapons and ammunition.

Australasia, seizing this opportunity, researched rat poison capable of killing most rats and specially produced flea medicine, acquiring a share of the market.

Almost every batch of rat poison and flea medicine arriving at the frontline would be immediately divided among the combat troops.

In non-combat periods, what soldiers most want to do is to take a good bath and then deal with the fleas on their bodies.

Although most rats and fleas are not fatal, the fleas jumping around and biting on one's body can cause unbearable itching.

Rats are even more terrifying, as they may chew off ears while people are sleeping if there is no protection and a sufficient number of rats. Such cases occur from time to time.

As a result, some soldiers in the trenches used iron wire mesh to encircle themselves for protection from rats.

Anyway, the existence of these rats and fleas not only causes great trouble for frontline soldiers but also tires them physically and mentally, making them reluctant to fight.

It is precisely because of this that rat poison, flea medicine, and other items have become so popular and are loved by frontline soldiers.

Arthur, looking at the report on the entire year of 1915 in his hands, is in a good mood.

But at this moment, the warring countries far away in Europe do not have such a beautiful mood.

The Battle of Verdun has been going on for more than a month now, and both the German and French armies have suffered heavy casualties, but neither side dares to issue a retreat order.

Actually, in the early stages of the Battle of Verdun, German progress was relatively smooth.

It took German troops only a few days to successfully complete the first step of the German General Staff's plan, which was to occupy the surrounding areas of Verdun and capture the first line of defense on the periphery.

Through heavy artillery bombardment, while the French were disoriented by the shelling and hadn't reacted yet, the Germans quickly pushed their front lines forward by two kilometers.

Although the Germans had achieved local victories, at this point, the French General Staff still did not fully understand Germany's real intention, and thus could not develop their next combat plan based on this.

This resulted in French Commander General Flynn maintaining the average defensive strength in all directions at Verdun, so as to effectively resist the German main force's attack in any direction.

Some French soldiers in the Verdun fortress area were indigenous people recruited from the colonies. They had not experienced the cold weather in Northern France, and their morale was already low, so the combat effectiveness of some indigenous armies was extremely fragile.

Some indigenous soldiers even turned and ran away, but were immediately killed by the French supervisory team behind them.

No matter who was running away, during such a crucial moment of the Battle of Verdun, they had to decisively kill all runners without hesitation.