Zhang Jian
1894, the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 broke out, and the national crisis intensified the contradictions between the two parties after the emperor. The "clean stream" headed by Weng Tonghe supported Emperor Guangxu, and there were many discussions about the main battle. Its main target is Li Hongzhang, who fears the sun like a tiger. In fact, it is to attack the post-party of the Lord and try to win some real power for the emperor who has the name of "pro-government". Zhang Jian, the top scholar of the new discipline who was famous for a while, quickly became the leader of "Qingliu" and the decision-making figure among the disciples of "Wengmen" because of his similar historical origins and political opinions. However, in the main battle, when the Lord and the two factions fought fiercely, Zhang Jian returned to the system because of his father's funeral. [20]
At the beginning of the 21st year of Guangxu (1895), Zhang Zhidong, acting governor of Liangjiang, sent Zhang Jian to organize an ocean-going group training to prevent the Japanese navy from invading the lower reaches of the Yangtze River at any time. Because the Qing government was defeated in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, the treaty of shimonoseki was signed, and the sailing yong ying fell by the wayside. At the end of the same year, he joined the Shanghai Strong Society organized by Kang Youwei. [ 14]
At the beginning of the 22nd year of Guangxu (1896), Zhang Zhidong sent Zhang Jian, Ding to set up commercial bureaus in Tongzhou, Suzhou and Zhenjiang respectively, and Zhang Jian set up cotton mills in Nantong and Suzhou respectively. Sheng Da cotton mill was originally identified as a commercial office. Zhang Jian tried to raise funds through official investment promotion office and joint venture between government and business, but the results were very small and the funds raised were very limited. Zhang Jian asked the government for help. [20]
Former site of cotton shop of Datou Kenzhi Company (46 sheets)
Because of the difficulty in raising funds, Zhang Jian was forced to lower his goals again and again, on the other hand, he hit a wall everywhere. Jiangning made Gui promise to contribute 672,000 yuan; Sheng Xuanhuai and Zhang Jian also promised that Zhang Jian would raise funds when he got the official machine. They had a contract. However, when the Sheng Da cotton mill started construction, the funds were very urgent, and your promised money was urged many times. Sheng Xuanhuai also kept silent, trying to avoid. Zhang Jian didn't get anything when he went to Shanghai to offer shares, and he didn't even have a trip back to Tongzhou. I had to advertise in the newspaper and sell words on Sima Road for three days to earn money. The top scholar is in business, but he is too embarrassed to refute slanderous remarks and insult. At this time, Zhang Jian is no longer a celebrity who denounced Yuan Shikai and impeached Academician Li Hongzhang. [2 1-22]
1896165438+10. In October, Zhang Jian bought a batch of 40800 ingots of corroded official aircraft from the United States when Zhang Zhidong was engaged in "Westernization" in Guangxu 19th year (1893). Official shares do not count profits and losses, but only take official profits by year, which has become a "gentry-led business" nature. [23-24]
In the 24th year of Guangxu (1898), Sheng Da Cotton Mill officially broke ground at Taozhuba, Tangjiazha, west of Tongzhou, and was completed and put into operation the following year. By the time of trial production in 1899, the working capital was only tens of thousands of dollars, and there was no money to buy cotton as raw materials. In desperation, Zhang Jian borrowed money from the bank at a high interest rate of 1.2 per month. Urgent shareholders, no one responded; Moreover, the intention to rent a factory was maliciously bargained. Finally, Shen Jingfu, Zhang Jian's close friend and loyal assistant for many years, proposed to cross the rubicon and put it into production in an all-round way, using cotton yarn income to buy cotton and maintain operation. Fortunately, in the next few months, the cotton yarn market is optimistic, and the cotton mill's funds are expanding, which enables the factory to produce normally with a slight balance. Sheng Da cotton mill finally survived. [25]
Starting from 190 1, with the support of Liu Kunyi, governor of the two rivers, coastal wasteland was reclaimed at the junction of Lvsi and Haimen, and a cotton mill with 65,438+10,000 mu of cultivated land-the raw cotton base of Tonghai Reclamation Animal Husbandry Company was built. With the continuous accumulation of capital, Zhang Jian founded Guangsheng Oil Factory, Fuxing Flour Factory and Zisheng Metallurgical Factory in Tangzha, and gradually formed Tangzha Town Industrial Zone. At the same time, in order to facilitate the transportation of equipment, machinery and goods, he built a port along the river west of Tangzha-Tiansheng Port, and built a power plant in Tiansheng Port. The opening of roads between towns made Tiansheng Port gradually become the main Yangtze River port in Nantong at that time. Zhang Jian and his brother Zhang Jian (No.) not only reclaimed large areas of land in Tonghai and Yanfu. Push An) * * Jointly set up Dalai Lama (in Jiaoxie in 6 years of the Republic of China), Dafeng (in Xituan in 7 years of the Republic of China), Tongshui (in Shen Zao in 8 years of the Republic of China) and Zhongfu (also known as Tongfu) in Dongtai County. The investment of these companies is more than one million yuan, ranging from several hundred thousand yuan to several hundred thousand mu. Abandon stoves to open up wasteland, develop cotton planting and solve the raw materials needed to run a cotton mill. The appearance of modern warp spinning industry at the end of 19 changed Nantong's urban function from exchange type to production type, and Nantong became one of the early national capitalist industrial bases in China. Together with Shen Yunpei of Lianyungang, Jiangsu and Xu of Ganyu, they are called the three great industrialists in northern Jiangsu. [26]
The development of national industry needs science and technology, which prompted Zhang Jian to set up a school and first devoted himself to normal education. In February of the 28th year of Guangxu (1902), Zhang Jian was invited by Liu Kunyi, the governor of the two rivers, to discuss the promotion of learning in Jiangning. Liu Kunyi agreed, but was stopped by San Francisco Wu, Xun Daoxu and Yan Daohu. Zhang Jian sighed. He plans to establish a self-run normal school in Tongzhou with colleagues such as Luo Shuyun and Tang Shouqian. 1898, Zhang Jian has enjoyed 20,000 yuan at public expense with interest, plus persuasion and relief money since he was appointed as Tongzhou cotton mill for five years. On July 9, the same year, Tongzhou Normal School chose the Qianfo Temple in the southeast of Nantong as the school site to start construction, and the school officially opened the following year. This is the first normal school in China, and its construction marks the beginning of the specialized organ of normal education in China. [27]
Zhang Jian (3 photos)
After several years of dismal operation, Sheng Da Cotton Mill has gradually grown. By the 30th year of Guangxu (1904), the factory had increased its capital by 632,000, with more than 20,000 spindles. In the thirty-third year of Guangxu (1907), Sheng Da No.2 Factory was established in Chongming jiulong town (now Qidong City), with a capital of100000 yuan and 26000 spindles. By the third year of Xuantong (19 1 1), the net profit of Sheng Da No.1 Factory and No.2 Factory was about 3.7 million yuan. [26]
In the 30th year of Guangxu (1904), Zhang Jian founded Nantong Dadalunbu (Buwei Bureau), which was the first to open the outer river route, and later established Dada Shipping Company to open the inland river route in northern Jiangsu. Kaitai-East-Salt Class runs once a day, and the salt river is transported from Taizhou to Dongtai, and then from Dongtai to Yancheng. Later, a branch company was established in Dongtai, and ship stations were set up in towns along the line to handle freight and passenger transport, which developed the waterway transportation between Dongtai and neighboring counties. [28]
1904, the Qing government awarded him three titles. 1909 was promoted to the speaker of Jiangsu Consultative Bureau. 19 10 initiated a congressional petition. 19 1 1 served as the president of central education, the interim speaker of Jiangsu provincial parliament and the premier of Jiangsu province. 19 12 years, he drafted the abdication edict. After the establishment of Nanjing government, he served as the chief of industry, 19 12 as the chief of agriculture, industry and commerce of Beiyang government and the chief of national water conservancy, and 19 14 as the director of national water conservancy. Later, after witnessing the invasion of foreign powers, he resolutely gave up his official position and embarked on the road of saving the country through industry. He used to be the main force of constitutionalism.
In the third year of the Republic of China (19 14), Zhang Jian also established the Taifang for the poor in Henan at the south gate of Taicheng, with more than 80 houses covering an area of 30 mu, and hired workers to produce towels, rattan and sewing. In 8 years of the Republic of China, Zhang Jian bought Dongtai Rong Tai Electric Company built by Shanghainese, renamed it Dongming Electric Company, and increased its share capital and purchased parts. Power generation began in the autumn of that year, which solved the lighting difficulties of streets and some users.
Dongtai dongming electricity co., ltd. former site
golden age
Zhang Jian was also the leader of the constitutional movement in the late Qing Dynasty, and presided over and initiated three congressional petition movements. When he was minister of industry and commerce in the Republic of China, he pointed out that the past measures were "unintentionally guiding people to start businesses", which was wasteful and ineffective. In the future, Ministry-run enterprises should stop and listen to the opinions of ordinary people.
During his lifetime, he advocated "saving the country through industry" and "saving the country through education" and organized many factories, enterprises and educational and cultural undertakings. Although his "saving the country through industry" could not save the old China in peril, it was beneficial to the social, economic and cultural development at that time. Zhang Jian used the trademark "Kuixing" in the early cotton yarn products of Sheng Da Cotton Mill, and established different product lines such as "Red Kui", "Blue Kui", "Green Kui", "Golden Kui" and "Color Kui". The main part of a trademark is the image of a champion. In the second year of production, the net profit of Sheng Da Cotton Mill was 52,000 yuan; The net profit for the third year is 654.38+ 2 million yuan; By 1908, the accumulated net profit reached19 million. [
After the operation of Sheng Da cotton mill improved, it seems that the problem of raising funds by issuing stocks no longer exists. 190 1 year, Zhang Jian and others decided to raise another 202,000 new shares, and successfully raised 207,500 shares in one year. 1904, Zhang Jian decided to expand the Sheng Da branch. Gui, who originally refused to contribute, also "voluntarily contributed 20,000 shares" at this time. Zhu Youhong, a candidate from Zhejiang who had written to accuse Zhang Jian, also invested 12000 at this time. Compared with the difficulty in preparing for the establishment of Shengda No.1 Factory, Sheng Da No.2 Factory took only 29 months from preparation to construction, and easily received 802,000 shares. Sheng Da Textile Co., Ltd. was officially registered in the Ministry of Commerce, and obtained the patent right of "Fiona Fang Baili is not allowed to set up other textile factories for 20 years". Zhang Jian's social prestige is also increasing day by day, and he has become a figure that various factions are scrambling to pay attention to.
"A person who governs a county should have a provincial perspective; Save trouble and have a national vision; To govern a country, we must have a world vision. " Zhang Jian's thought determines the scale of his career. At that time, western countries were busy with World War I, which left a huge space for China's textile market. After 19 13, like textile enterprises in other places, Sheng Da No.1 and No.2 factories made profits year after year and flourished for a while. Only 19 19, the profits of the two factories reached more than 3.8 million, setting a record. Altogether, during the eight years from 19 14 to 192 1, the profits of the two factories in Sheng Da exceeded10 million. During the period of 1920~ 192 1 year, Shanghai newspapers published the Sheng Da stock market every day, which was one of the most sought-after stocks in the market at that time.
At this time, Sheng Da had more than 1.37 million ingots, and Zhang Jian entered his golden age.
Political dance
Statue of Zhang Jian
Before the Revolution of 1911, Zhang Jian was a member of the Imperial Party and advocated constitutional monarchy. But after the Revolution of 1911, he quickly turned to * * * and cut off his pigtails, changed his diary to the solar calendar, and was invited by Sun Yat-sen to be the chief industrial officer.
As a former champion of the Qing Dynasty and a member of the Imperial Party, Zhang Jian once found the governor of Jiangsu at the beginning of Wuchang Uprising, hoping to suppress the revolution. At this time, he did not advocate revolution because the price of revolution was too high. And he represents the position of entrepreneurs, especially the cotton textile industry-what they need most is the stability of the market and society. The market is their lifeblood. At this time, Zhang Jian's concern for the country has shifted from loyalty to maintaining market stability. But soon the balance of social forces changed, and revolution became a fashion. Zhang Jian is a clear-headed man. Once he saw that the trend was irreversible, his pragmatic side came out.
His pragmatic attitude is: conform to * * *, but not fully accept the revolution. He just hopes to end the turmoil as soon as possible through peaceful means and maintain market stability. His pragmatic political choices are: first, call on Sun Yat-sen and be the chief industrial officer of the cabinet of the Republic of China at the invitation of Sun Yat-sen; Second, choose to support Yuan Shikai, a powerful figure with military power.
He and Sun Yat-sen first met after the Revolution of 1911. The evaluation of Sun Yat-sen and Zhang Jian is four words: I don't know the cliff. "Cliff" means "edge". The implication of this statement is that he thinks that Sun Yat-sen thinks things are too simple and romantic. He doesn't know that construction is more difficult than revolution, and thinks that a revolution can solve all problems. "The actual situation is that at that time, the decree could not be issued in Nanjing, and the military pay could not be issued." Zhang Jian is a pragmatic person. He made no secret of his thoughts and frankly thought that it was difficult for Sun Yat-sen to clean up the situation. Although the government has been established, it is difficult to maintain it for a long time. "In this case, he is more willing to cooperate with Yuan Shikai, a realistic power figure.
So Zhang Jian left Nanjing and went north to join Yuan Shikai's camp. When Yuan Shikai forced Emperor Xuan Tong to abdicate, Zhang Jian drafted the imperial edict of the Qing Dynasty. Sun Yat-sen fulfilled his promise and gave Yuan Shikai the post of interim president. Domestic politics seems to present a scene of peace, and industry and commerce are beginning to recover. Zhang Jian thought that the unity and order he was pursuing was just around the corner, so he returned to Nantong to run an enterprise and implement local autonomy.
19 13 Yuan Shikai officially took office as the president and appointed Zhang Jian as the chief of agriculture, industry and commerce. However, Yuan Shikai quickly ordered the dissolution of the National Assembly, and the restoration heart began to show. Zhang Jian once discouraged Yuan Shikai, saying that the dissolution of the National Assembly and wearing a helmet to worship heaven would induce new unrest. By 19 15, when Yuan Shikai accepted the first to fourth requirements of "Article 21" put forward by Japan (Yuan Shikai did not fully agree with "Article 21"), Zhang Jian resigned angrily and completely cut off contact with Yuan Shikai before Yuan Shikai became emperor again.
The crisis is coming.
Bronze statue of Zhang Jian
At this time, Zhang Jian, as a social stratum, did not get enough social rights, nor did he have a good financing environment and channels. The country's economic policy has not yet stepped out of the framework of the era of small farmers, and commercial activities are blocked everywhere.
Sheng Da Shanghai Office, formerly known as Shanghai Accounting Office in Sheng Da, has almost become the nerve center and financial adjustment center of the whole Sheng Da system. At the peak of Sheng Da, banks and money houses in Shanghai and other places rushed to provide loans to the Shanghai office of Sheng Da. Students have a maximum of 20 million to 30 million in cash, and the amount that can be overdrawn is between 5 million and 6 million. Due to the convenience of borrowing, Sheng Da has entered a period of rapid expansion.
By 192 1, Sheng Da's foreign debt had reached 4 million taels, and the crisis began to appear. Zhang Jian originally wanted to hold the 25th report meeting of local autonomy in the coming year, to fully show the achievements of Nantong local autonomy. A sudden storm destroyed many water conservancy projects in Nantong. 1922, in the successful people's votes held in Beijing and Shanghai newspapers, Zhang Jian got the highest number of votes, and he reached the peak of his life, which happened to be his 70th birthday. Also in this year, the continuously hot market suddenly turned black, and cotton was expensive and cheap. Sheng Da No.1 Factory, which has always been profitable, lost more than 390,000 taels, while No.2 Factory lost 3 1 10,000 taels. 1922 became the turning point of Sheng Da from prosperity to decline. The golden age came to an abrupt end and never came back.
The crisis of cotton textile industry from 65438 to 0922 led to the complete collapse of his career. In this process, the government did not provide him with any valuable help. Coincidentally, there was an economic panic in Japan in the early 1920s, and the Japanese government took large-scale emergency rescue measures to provide economic loans to various industries. Japan's large enterprises, commercial banks and stock exchanges quickly got out of trouble, and quickly dragged down students in the subsequent competition between Chinese and Japanese cotton mills. In desperation, Zhang Jian sought the support of foreign funds, but by 1924, Japanese funds never came, and Zhang Jian could not borrow money from American capitalists. At this time, Sheng Da was in debt and irrevocably declined.
Zhang Jian often socializes with the help of entrepreneurs, which seriously drags down students. 1On August 24th, 926, Zhang Jian died in Nantong. On the day of the funeral, Nantong was deserted, and almost the whole city came to see Zhang Jian off.