In the early days of the Westernization Movement, the Westernization School wanted to establish a modern military enterprise, which was officially run by the court itself at the beginning. But gradually encountered difficulties in raw materials, fuel, transportation, management and so on. And since the mid-1970s, civil industries have been established.
However, the stall is large and the court has no money. Everyone knows that it is possible to make money by engaging in civilian industrial enterprises, but the traditional society resolutely forbids private businessmen to touch these contents. Even imperial businessmen can only do trade, and these are absolutely untouchable.
Then the court officials have the right to do it, but they have no money; Folk businessmen have money, but they have no right to engage in it. This can be mixed. so this is it？ Official supervision and commercial office? The essence of.
Not literally? Businessmen are in charge of management, and the court is in charge of supervision and management? . But businessmen are only responsible for capital contribution, and the court appoints officials to manage it. Most of the private enterprises founded by the Westernization School in the early days adopted this form.
The layout of Li Hongzhang's China Merchants Bureau, Kaiping Mining Bureau, Tianjin Telegraph Bureau, and Shanghai Woven Machine is all like this.
It can be said that such enterprises not only take advantage of monopoly, but also take advantage of official protection. Relying on official protection, enterprises enjoy privileges and preferences such as tax exemption, tax reduction, loans, deferred interest and patents. For example, since its establishment, China Shipping Merchants has enjoyed the right to transport goods by water from Shanghai to Tianjin, and Tianjin's import tax is exempted from 20%. The products made by Shanghai Woven Shop are sold in Shanghai without paying any tax, and those distributed in the Mainland are free of drawing Li Jin, and so on. So such enterprises should make a lot of money.
However, as the main body of investment, private capital businessmen can't make money or even lose money. It's a strange thing that if you make money, you can't make money, so no private businessmen are willing to invest money in it anymore.
In fact, this is mainly because in the commercial enterprises supervised by the government, the management power is in the hands of bureaucrats sent by the Qing government, such as general manager, conference manager, deputy manager and transshipment manager. These people don't understand technical business, but only know corruption and profligacy, turning enterprises into bureaucratic yamen.
What about businessmen? Although he became a shareholder, he was also worthy of passers-by. ? Have no right to ask about the operation of the enterprise. Private businessmen gave money, but they didn't even have management rights. They can't make money with a piece of the action.
At present, the management teams of many enterprises and companies require shareholders not to intervene in the operation, but at least they can get the results if they share dividends. If they can't produce performance, the shareholders can let them go. But during the Westernization Movement? Official supervision and commercial office? In these enterprises, the shareholders who gave money didn't even have a say. Isn't this a big head?
Therefore, without capital injection, enterprises will inevitably face risks. And then he showed up? Political and business cooperation? Since it is jointly organized by government and business, it means that the court has taken a step back and the rights and interests of private businessmen (shareholders) have been greatly improved.
That is, we sit down and talk, send representatives, conclude contracts, agree on their respective rights, obligations and surplus distribution methods, each contribute according to the share subscription ratio, and send representatives to participate in enterprise work.
In this way, at least on the surface, the power of private businessmen in the imperial court and enterprises is equal. Even if it is not completely equal, at least there will be some abuse of power, and everyone can do things within some equal rules.
But the result is surprising. No matter what you think the rules are, in fact, the management power is still in the hands of official appointees, and the representatives of commercial stocks are in a helpless position. So it doesn't make any sense to sign this contract or not. Everything is still the same as my nephew playing lanterns.
So Li Hongzhang did westernization and accumulated so many things? Why did Sichuan appear again in Qing Dynasty? Road protection movement? ? In essence, the Qing court only knew how to ask for money, and agreed at the beginning? Official supervision, private operation? And then what? Cooperation between the government and the people? They all stare at each other's money bags, paying no attention to the rules of the game or the rights of private businessmen.