清末电政局的组织与人事

The Organization and Personnel of Imperial Chinese Telegraph Administration in Late Qing

电政局是清廷将电报收归官办后,在邮传部下新设的全国性电报企业,其内部组织与人事呈现集中化、科层化和专业化的趋势。电政局的治理结构从“正副二元体制”转变为“总办一元体制”,管理权逐步集中于总办一人。其下分科办事,并在“科”内设立职能更为专一的“处”,科层组织粗具规模。人事方面,电政局员额扩张的主要动因在于所辖电报线路范围扩大,以及新部门添设对办事职员的需求。电报学堂出身且有留学背景的“技术官僚”逐渐取代传统科举出身的管理者。局内职员形成双轨制分工,由学堂毕业生负责技术性较强的电报事务,而科举出身者则负责文案、报销等局务管理事务。由此可见,清末电报从官督商办到官办的转变,并不必然导致管理混乱和人员浮滥,反而为企业中形成多层级多部门的专业治理结构开辟了一条独特路径。

Imperial Chinese Telegraph Administration was the national telegraph company established after the telegraph wires were nationalized,subordinate to the Ministry of Communications in Late Qing.Its organization and personnel showed the trend of centralization,bureaucratization and professionalization.The governance structure of Imperial Chinese Telegraph Administration turned from the“dual system”to the“unitary system”,and the authority was gradually concentrated to General Director.Imperial Chinese Telegraph Administration adopted departmental system.It set up“chu”which was more specific under“ke”,and the bureaucracy was beginning to take shape.In terms of personnel,the staff number expanded mainly because Imperial Chinese Telegraph Administration managed more telegraph wires and set up new departments.The“technocrats”who graduated from telegraph schools and had the background of studying abroad gradually replaced those who passed the Civil Service Examination to manage the company.The division of labor followed a dual-track approach.Those who graduated from telegraph schools took responsible for works needing more professional skills,and those who passed the Civil Service Examination took charge of paper and financial works.It can be seen that the transformation of the telegraph company from“merchant management under government supervision”to“government management”in Late Qing didn't necessarily result in chaos of management and redundancy of staff.On the contrary,it opened a unique way for the company to form bureaucratic organization and professional personnel.