近代四川自贡盐业契约履行稳定性分析

Analysis on the stability of contract performance in Zigong salt industry in modern Sichuan

四川自贡现存的盐业契约档案从1732年至1949年,历经200多年的历史,经历清代、民国2个时期。与古典契约理论认为的短期的、不连续的契约不同,自贡盐业契约表现出持续时间长、契约履行稳定的特征。这些长期的稳定履约,使得各种资金敢于以契约的形式源源不断地汇聚到盐井开凿这项浩大的工程中来。与国内外学者从第三方实施机制的强制性角度来解释盐业契约的长期稳定不同,契约经济学中的“资产专用性”和“契约激励”理论,从自我实施机制的角度解释了四川自贡盐业契约能够得到长时间稳定履约的原因,分析了四川自贡盐业如何在生产实践过程中,不断优化契约实施机制,降低交易成本。

The existing salt contract files in Zigong,Sichuan province,with a history of more than 200 years,span the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China from 1732 to 1949.Different from the short-term and discontinuous contract considered by classical contract theory,Zigong salt industry contract is characterized by long duration and stable performance.The stable performance of these long-term contracts makes all kinds of funds dare to continuously gather in the form of contracts to the vast project of salt well excavation.With the domestic and foreign scholars from the perspective of the third party implementation mechanism of mandatory to explain different,long-term stability of the salt industry contract based on contract economics“asset specificity”and“contract incentive”in the two aspects of theory,explained from the perspective of self enforcement mechanism in Sichuan Zigong salt industry contract can get long and stable performance.This paper analyzes how to optimize contract implementation mechanism and reduce transaction cost in Zigong salt industry of Sichuan province.