[Lt. Gov. Office] - Following up on Reports - Part I [Adder Please]

[Raliric Ered`Gard]

Raliric had, for the last few cycles, been poring over reports, notes and propositions that had circulated through the Governor’s Office (and thus his own) for the last few eras and he was quite frankly surprised by what he found. He was an organized man and thus as he worked his way through the reports he categorized them into departments. Then, going back over those departmental piles, he put them in order of date. What he eventually found was that a great deal of what had been begun had not been followed up on since. He had then made a list, a rather lengthy list, of who to check up on with regards to those reports.

His first, and the most important in his mind, to check up on was the Exchequer’s Assistant and his progress with training tax collectors to run the various tax collecting programs throughout the province and from the other cities. Thus he had asked Regal, his assistant and receptionist, to send for the Assistant Exchequer and to make sure the fellow brought everything he needed to give Raliric a report on the state of affairs in the province.

Now all Raliric had to do was play the waiting game until the Assistant Exchequer arrived to give his report and have a discussion with the new Lieutenant Governor.

[Adder]

The assistant arrived in due course, his face impassive, dark hair shot with grey and a well trimmed beard obscuring some of the expression on his human face. Shown in, he waited to be acknoweldged, ledgers held across his chest like some form of armour.

"Destrin Killgunsen at yer service yer honour."

[Raliric Ered`Gard]

Regal showed the Assistant Exchequer straight into the Lieutenant Governor’s Office without needing to check if it was already, she already knew Raliric was waiting and wished for everything to be sorted out as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Thus when Destrin Kellgunsen was shown into the Office, Raliric stood and inclined his head toward the man. ”Serale Destrin. Please sit. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Or rather, someone from the Exchequer’s office; it is on my list to find a permanent applicant to fill the role of Exchequer, however until that time it seems that the role should fall to the clerks and assistants that really make the cogs turn.” He smiled and sat, opening his vellum log book to the page he had his notes on with regards to the subject at hand.

”I have been reading some reports from my predecessors and stumbled upon a meeting regarding the taxation of the province and localities, now I do know that this was some time ago that the meeting was held, however I can find no documentation regarding the result of what was asked. I am sure that it was simply an error and the reports were lost to the system. That is neither here nor there though and thus I asked you to my office. If you would be able to detail to me what progress we had on this front I would be most appreciative.” Another smile and then he sat back to allow the man his opening to speak and deliver his report.

[Adder]

Destrin took the indicated seat and deposited the ledgers on the desk, though his fingers rested protectively on their bound edges for a moment, only releasing their grip reluctantly as he sat back.

"Decisions yer honour? Could you's remind me of what it is that you'd be referring to there. Lot of water passed under the bridge if yer'll forgive me for saying so, but I've no doubt that if you could give me a hint I'll be able to tell yer what yer need to know about it." His expression was helpful but perplexed at the question.

[Raliric Ered`Gard]

”Destrin…” Raliric said as his brows drew closer in confusion and a little frustration. ”I only know what I have read in reports.” He grunted and lent back in his chair as he continued with a compromise. ”Tell me everything you currently know about the taxation situation for the province. Most specifically focusing on, but not limited to, what yourself and Alicia Tamaral, now Gil’dae, were discussing.” He was normally a patient man, however when it came to this long overdue and drawn out subject he was past being patient.

Currently he was keeping his cool and focusing on the task at hand, however he was in no mood to get run around and given short uninformed answers. He knew naught of the current tax situation in the province and wanted that problem fixed which meant the Assistant Exchequer would need to inform him of everything he needed to know to make a decision regarding the subject.

[Adder]

Destrins expression cleared a little at this, though his own question hadn't exactly been answered.

"Well yer honour, I don't know as I talked very much to that Alicia woman, whatever she be calling herself these brightenings. Yer'll firgive me that confusion because I wasn't all that sure about if there was something ye'd read that I wasn't aware of.

Now the province as yer'll know has been without an active governor fer quite some time now, an what ones it has had like that Tamaral woman, well they weren't in the post more'n a handful of moments and they'd skipped off again elsewhere. The last Exchequer we had, Hsin was his name, well he liked to sit in his office and lord it about to anyone who came visiting. Talked a lot he did, but he didn't actually do very much, not with the Exchequer." He laughed, "which considering the job he landed now is quite amusing. Obviously talk is more important than anything when it comes to getting that sort of job, and leave the actual work to those who have to do it."

The smirk remained on his face, but he became a little more serious. "Well now, the Province itself, well to be honest, I don't think anyone has done any serious tax collecting for a few era's now. Not since they levied that property charge or whatever they called it on everyone. In theory the cities ought to have been paying taxes, but they were always left without it being collected, and Primus in the past always produced enough to pay for what the Province needed, what with the Imperials not collecting tax."

The remainder of the smirk faded from his face and was replaced by a grimace. "Truth to tell, we don't have much in place in the way of collecting taxes for the province. Hsin had plans, but well... Province is a big place and we don't have the men to collect it from all the farms and villages out there. I did hear talk of charging the nobles, what with them owning pretty much all of the province one way or another, but I don't know if anything came of that because it was about that time that the last Governor upped and legged it to Prime."

[Raliric Ered`Gard]

Raliric nodded and listened, by the end of what Destrin had said he was smiling. ”Well, you answered my question perfectly, I thank you for that. Now, we must make a taxation plan.” He paused and looked down at a piece of parchment in front of him. ”What I propose is this. We hire, and train, a force of some two hundred clerks. They will be used as money counters and administrative investigators. In other words, they will count the collected money to ensure that a levy contains the stipulated amount. During the periods that they are not doing this, which will be most of the era, they will be strewn throughout the province to observe and report. Thus when the time comes that a tax is to be levied again, we can use up-to-date information regarding the matters concerning each locality and can adjust the sum accordingly. These Clerks will also report to your office, and through you to the Governor's Office, if a locality is in need of financial aide due to recent pressures or disasters.” He looked a bit further down the page.

”The levied amount will be proposed to the locality, and a date will be given for when that amount is to be collected. It is then up to the locality to produce this sum with whatever means it deems necessary. The locality is then able to raise or lower their own taxes to then add additional local funds to its treasury.” He scrolled down a little further. ”The Collection of these taxes from the localities will be done by a force of Phoenix Legionaries numbering in a suitable amount dependent on the amount of money to be collected. The Clerks will go with the Legionaries. The clerks will count the money at the locality and if the sum is complete, they will all travel back to Primus Gaudeo where the money will be distributed throughout the Provincial Government treasuries and vaults located within the city.” Another pause, this time to glance up and see if Destrin was getting all of this, then he continued.

”Should a locality be unable to supply the desired amount they must give at least one seasons notice, as well as a report on the reason why they are unable to supply this amount. This report is to come from none other than the Aedile of the locality with the signature of the Thane, Prefect and Aedile to assure its validity. At such time as the Provincial Government receives this notice and report, a team of accountants, or perhaps the clerks, will travel to this locality with a section of Legionaries to investigate the report and to also assist the local government in their obvious time of need.” He then looked up and away from the parchment.

”The Imperial Government will then send their own collectors for the sum that they levy upon the province and they will take that sum back to the Alleria Prime treasuries. Any questions or concerns?”

[Adder]

Destrins eyes partly closed as he listened and he scribbled down quickly jotted notes in order to remind himself later of the proposals and how he'd understood them along with points to be questioned. His hand scribbled frantically as he tried to split his attention between what was being said and making sure that he could read his notes later.

"Two hundred clerks?" He frowned at the number that he'd written down. "Now that would mean that each clerk would be responsible for about forty thousand of the population." His expression cleared a little and he glanced up at Raliric. I think we need a few more than that, even allowing for the fact that they would be acting in a supervisory position. Using the Legion to actually make the collections would help a lot, but I suspect that it will take all of the Legion for the entire era to collect the taxes from eight million people, and even then it won't be easy because before you can collect, you need to assess how much tax is due. Now if you are happy to utilise the Legion to do that, well that is acceptable to me, otherwise we are going to need to recruit a substantial number of people. Or." he paused "perhaps you had something else in mind?"

"Aside from that, I'm not entirely sure that the Imperials will be willing to make their own collections. I rather got the impression that they expect us to simply hand over the amount due. Whilst they might be willing to help out in the collections, I'd suggest that it might not prove to be such a good thing to allow the Imperials to have such close access to everything that goes on in the Province. But then that's just my opinion and you are of course more than free to ignore it." He wondered how Raliric would react to the latter, and he hoped that it wouldn't be badly since the suggestion could be taken to mean that there was something to hide from the Imperials.

[Raliric Ered`Gard]

The Lieutenant Governor smiled, he had thought about this a great deal and had the answers that Destrin needed. ”You misunderstand me. It would be the job of each locality to hire their own tax collectors and investigators. We of the province would do just as the Imperials will do. The Imperials will send out a group of investigators and military staff to collect the tax from a Province's treasury. So for us, we would collect the levied tax from each locality's treasury. For instance, the two hundred clerks and purhaps a further two hundred military staff will travel to... Natura. They will go in request that the desired levy of tax be made available to them. Once it is, the two hundred clerks will count the amount to ensure it is all there. Then the clerks and military will take that money and bring it back to Primus Gaudeo's Provincial Treasuries.” He paused to allow the man to write what he needed to down.

”So in actual fact we have no contact with the majority of Centripax's citizens, we don't go from home to home and collect each amount of tax. As you said it would be a monstrous affair. No, that is a locality's problem. Natura, since we are using it as an example, will have to get that tax money together by themselves. Though obviously if they need assistance we will not deny them and if that is the case then we can hire staff for them, however that would increase the amount of tax taken from that locality to pay for the extra clerks.” He felt that he needed to explain why he did not want the Phoenix Legion taking the money directly and so he continued.

”I do not feel comfortable allowing the Phoenix Legion to go throughout the province and take the money from the citizens, to me that seems like brutish behaviour. Thus the Provincial Government should merely need to go directly to the Local Government in order to get the taxed levy. It also allows the Local Government to impose their own tax upon its citizens, which would be more than the levy imposed by the Provincial Government in order to pay for its own expenses, like public works and maintenance and government staffing. Just as the Provincial Government imposes a higher levy than the Imperial Government does. The excess is to pay for our own expenses.” He waited for the man to write it all down and then, with great patience and acceptance he continued.

”Do you agree?” He was inviting for even though he had thought of the answers to those questions the Assistant Exchequer may well have other questions that addressed something he might have left out. He was not a tyrannical leader, and he was openly appealing to his staff for their suggestions and ideas.

[Adder]

Destrin was considerably relieved to hear that he suddenly didn't need to employ what would have amounted to something larger than the Phoenix Legion. The prospect had begun to have aspects of a nightmare in his imagination and just the planning of it could have taken an era or two.

"Thank you, you've put my mind considerably at rest and I agree, the prospect of soldiers collecting the rent would have been horrific on many levels." His brow furrowed a little as he considered the new idea. "And how do you propose to deal with the wilderness areas that are outside of the control of places such as Natura? The cities and larger towns will be simple enough as we can direct the Thanes and aediles to organise the collections, but most of the province is still frankly under feudal control for all practical purposes. Whilst the provincial government claims control, that is likely news to most of the smallholders and country folk to whom the Governor, let alone the Empress is a figure from tales and they still hold to their local lord for things that we might think were our domain."

[Raliric Ered`Gard]

Raliric nodded, he had not given as much thought to the rest of the province though it was perhaps the part of the tax system that required the most thought. ”For the province then, yes, we would either tax the nobles or Majors. The problem I have this that part of the system is that, although the nobles are loyal to the empire for the most part, to give them official government power by allowing them to tax the people whom work and live in their lands would be giving them more power in the empire. Nobility rank is, these brightenings, merely a title and nothing more, it should give no political power or clout.” Raliric, although he was a noble and hoped to increase his noble rank, was fiercely loyal to the imperial regime.

”Perhaps it would do to investigate the rest of the province in order to eventually establish a better way of taxation for the areas not covered by the jurisdiction of Thanes? Or, to allow Thanes of some cities to control certain tracks of land rather than a locality itself? For instance, the Thane of Primus Gaudeo has jurisdiction in Primus Gaudeo as well Archer's Holt and the many other small villages and towns situated around Primus Gaudeo. Perhaps we should impose some sort of jurisdictional range that will allow every part of Centripax to be controlled by Thanes. No doubt many of those who will apply for those positions will be nobles, however they will be extending their political power and clout by joining the Government, rather then the Government asking them to join.” He did not know if that was a good idea or not, but he was simply putting suggestions forward.

He also did not like the nobility idea because in order to enforce the taxation the noble would need to establish a personal army and that then gave nobles back military rights, which could never be allowed.

[Adder]

Destrin nodded slowly, his forehead creased and he ran the tip of the fingers of his right hand along his lips as he listened carefully.

"Well I can see your point Your Excellency, giving them official power would indeed consolidate their position," he answered at length, "and that is a very good point. It wouldn't do however to imagine that the reality is really very much different from that for all the lack of official sanction. The wilderness is really quite remote from the goings on of the cities and what one generation has done, the next tends to follow regardless of what might be happening along the corridors of power here or in Prime. The nobles had power, and for all that they can no longer officially raise their own troops, I daresay that power still rests among the nobles for all practical purposes outside of the major towns, and now that I've said that, in truth I'd imagine that there are any number of towns where effective control of everyday life is held by the nobles and not by the officials who are supposed to wield it."

He considered for a moment longer. "But then again you might just be on to something there after all. The Thanes can take some power over some areas around them, again reflecting what in truth they probably also do. But granting the nobles where necessary official sanction in the name of the Empire might just be the trick we need to pull them more into our control and make them accountable to us instead of thumbing their noses at us."

Whatever the Lieutenant Governor mind want to believe, his officials had to deal with how it really was and not how it was supposed to be.

[Raliric Ered`Gard]

The Lieutenant Governor could do naught but agree with Destrin's observations and points; the way he wished for it to be was not the way it was, however that is where he came to play his part. If everything was meant to be as it should be than there would be no need for safe guards and investigations. Raliric was a safe guard. It was his job to rectify the situation. ”Exactly. At the moment the official jurisdiction of the Thanes puts those political leaders and their jurisdictions into the rules of the 'game'. The nobles are currently outside those rules. If we bring the nobles into the game by giving them imperial sanction than we effectively put them and their jurisdictions within the rules. The rules and game being of course a more investigated and monitored system of government. We give them official freedom and are thus allowed to officially reprimand them if they do not do something to the Governor's liking, or the Empire's liking. Regardless they are obviously going to be reprimanded if they do something wrong, however they will not be as well monitored as they would if they were officially sanctioned.”

”What we need to do is get a list of the nobles and their wealth and holdings. No doubt this can be attained from the Census that will occur shortly. Meanwhile we can divide the province into jurisdictions for Thanes and their councils. Once the list comes in we will have a better idea on whom to approach.”

[Adder]

Destrin smiled. This was the sort of man that he wanted to work with, someone who actually cared about making things work and not just giving orders on a whim and expecting others to find a way of making them work.

"That sounds like an excellent idea if I may say so. As you say, if we can build a picture of exactly who and where people are then we can devise a system that is more likely to really work."

[Raliric Ered`Gard]

The knight nodded. ”Indeed.” He slowly rose to his feet and then leant across his table to shake the dwarf's hand. ”You have been most helpful and I hope that I have been the same. If you require extra funding to hire people to investigate for that list, then simply ask and it shall be granted.”