近代中国城市电信事业的基本考察(1884—1937)——以武汉为样本的分析

A basic investigation of urban telecommunication industry in modern China(1884—1937):Analysis by taking Wuhan as a sample

1884年,长江电报线路延至汉口,武汉三镇正式迈入电信通信时代。此后50余年间,武汉电信业发展迅速,汉口一度成为全国重要的电报结转中心。电信业的发展,对城市管理、工商经济、市民生活等产生了深远而又重要的影响,推动了武汉三镇现代化的发展进程,电信收入一度成为当政者重要的财政收入来源。正因如此,交通部、湖北省、汉口市对电话局管理权的归属进行了激烈的争夺。近代武汉三镇电信业的发展是一种不充分、不平衡的发展,究其原因,是经济基础相对薄弱,政治环境动荡频仍,以及管理者的水平低下。

In 1884,the Yangtze River telegraph line was extended to Hankou,and the three towns of Wuhan officially entered the era of telecommunications.Over the past 50 years,Wuhan􀆳s telecommunications industry has developed rapidly,and Hankou has become an important telegraphic transfer center in China.The development of the telecommunications industry has had a profound and important impact on urban management,industrial and commercial economy,citizen life,and other aspects,promoting the modernization process of the three towns in Wuhan.Telecommunications revenue once became an important source of financial revenue for the government.Therefore,the Ministry of Transport,Hubei Province,and Wuhan authorities have engaged in fierce competition over the ownership of management of telephone bureau.However,the development of the telecommunications industry in the three towns of Wuhan in modern times was an insufficient and unbalanced development,mainly due to relatively weak economic foundation,frequent political environment turbulence,and low level of management.