民国温州绅商与慈善救助事业

Discuss on Gentry Merchants and Charitable Relief in Wenzhou during the Period of the Republic of China

民国是温州慈善救助事业发展的重要时期,随着地方官权的削弱和绅商实力的增强,原来由官方主导的慈救工作逐渐转变为官府与绅商合作的共同事业。在应对水涝、米荒、瘟疫和战争等带来的灾难时,温州绅商凭借自身的经济实力和社会名望,积极组织捐输义赈、施粥平粜等救助活动,独立创办普安施医施药局、协济善堂等民间慈善机构,解决了地方政府在社会救助中出现的资金和管理问题。绅商群体作为一股不可忽视的社会力量,在稳定社会秩序、推动地方慈救事业发展等方面发挥了重要作用。

The period of the Republic of China is an important period for the development of charity relief in Wenzhou.With the weakening of local government authority and the enhancement of gentry-merchant power,the charity relief that had been dominated by the government gradually turned into a common cause of the government and gentry merchants.During dealing with the disasters such as flood,rice shortage,plague and war,Wenzhou gentry merchants,relying on their strong economic strength and social fame,actively organized such relief activities as donation and porridge supply,and independently established some folk charity organizations like Puanshi Pharmacy and Xieji Charity Bureau,which solved the fund and management problems of local governments in social assistance.As a social force that cannot be ignored,gentry merchants have played an important role in stabilizing social order and promoting the development of local charity and relief work.