清末民初直隶商会的乡村赈灾活动述略(1903-1928年)

The Rural Relief Activities of Zhili Chamber of Commerce in the Late Qing Dynasty(1903-1928)

直隶商会秉承了民间组织热心慈善事业的传统。每遇天灾人祸,各地商会除积极劝募,亲自发放赈济衣粮外,还采取经济手段组织平粜,接济民食,组织灾民生产自救;为了防止匪人扰害灾民,维护商业,各地商会加强了地方治安。直隶商会的善举,在一定程度上弥补了近代政府赈灾的不力,为农村灾民救济和社会生活的稳定发挥了独特的作用,使商会在社会慈善救助这一公共领域占据了一席之地。

Zhili chamber of commerce carried on the convention of non‐governmental enthusiastic charity . On the occasion of disasters or accidents ,the chambers of commerce of all areas would solicit and collect contributions or donations , distribute the clothes and food , take economic measures to manage the grain‐selling at the par price to assist the victims and organize the victims to save themselves .To pre‐vent the illegal phenomena and protect the victims and the business ,the chambers of commerce rein‐forced the public security .All the acts of charity recovered the inefficiency in the relief of the govern‐ments in modern times and played a unique role for relieving the victims in the country and the stability of social life ,which made the chamber of commerce occupy a space in social charity—the public field .