A Study Of Modern Shuikoushan Lead Zinc Mine(1896-1944)

The distribution of lead-zinc mineral resources in China is very extensive,but there are not many real development in modern times.Shuikoushan lead-zinc mine in Changning,Hunan Province is the largest and most productive lead-zinc mine in modern China.In this paper,the author attempts to show the achievements and limitations of the development of Shuikoushan lead zinc mine under the official control by using the research method of enterprise history,starting from the background of the development of modern Shuikoushan lead zinc mine,focusing on the production,management and transportation of the mine.After the Sino Japanese War of 1894-1895,with the gradual deepening of the economic invasion of China by the powers,China's mining resources began to be coveted by the powers.As a famous "hometown of nonferrous metals",Hunan Province's mining resources have become the focus of plunder by the powers.In the face of foreign invasion,Hunan people's patriotic and economic thoughts are rising day by day.A group of people of insight from Hunan decided to open modern mining industry in view of the difficulties in the development of traditional mining industry in Hunan Province.Shuikoushan lead zinc mine is one of the earliest modern mining industry in Hunan Province.At the beginning of the establishment of Shuikoushan lead zinc mine,it was led by Hunan General Administration of mineral affairs,which established Shuikoushan branch of mineral affairs as a special management organization.Since 1926,the Department of construction of Hunan Province took over the leadership of the mining industry of the province.The director of Shuikoushan Mine Bureau was directly subordinate to the Department of construction of the province.Shuikoushan Mining Bureau implements the organizational structure of division system.With the continuous improvement of the organization of the Mining Bureau,the organizational structure is increasingly scientific and modern.The mining bureau is very strict in the management of its own workers.It implements a strict supervision system and a contract system with feudal remnants.Under the double oppression,the miners have a difficult life.After that,in order to strive for the improvement of the treatment,workers in Shuikoushan held a general strike,and finally won the victory,and the treatment of workers was improved.In modern times,the mining technology of Shuikoushan lead-zinc mine has gone through the evolution from the concealed mining method,the open mining method to the western mining method.The western mining method greatly mentions the mining efficiency of Shuikoushan,and the production of ore sand increases rapidly.However,in modern times,there is only one hole(old crow's Nest)in Shuikoushan mine that is mined by machine,and the rest are still local mining methods.In order to facilitate the transportation between the mine and the outside world,the shuisong railway was formally built in 1912,which is specially responsible for transporting the ore and fuel coal of Shuikoushan.After 1928,Hunan has built the first Western lead smelting plant and zinc smelting plant in China,realizing the technology of blast furnace fire lead smelting and horizontal pot distillation zinc smelting,and opening the lead and zinc smelting in China.Due to the late start of domestic lead-zinc smelting industry,before 1930s,all ore produced by Shuikoushan mine was exported overseas.Foreign businessmen took the opportunity to plunder the lead and zinc resources of Shuikoushan by means of low-cost purchase,mortgage loan,private transportation and illegal mining.In order to resist the economic invasion of the powers,Hunan government strictly managed the sales of Shuikoushan lead zinc ore.after 1928,it realized the self refining of lead zinc ore in the province,reduced the export of raw sand,and recaptured part of the domestic market.Through combing the development of Shuikoushan lead zinc mine in modern times,the progress of technology,effective organization and management,and economic struggle with foreign businessmen are all positive achievements.However,the nearly exhausted mineral resources,the lack of annual funds,and the damage of production equipment have afected the long-term development of the mine.Apart from the plunder and competition of foreign businessmen under the semi colonial and semi feudal society,the main reason for these adverse factors is that the government failed to provide a good environment for the development of the enterprise,which makes the enterprise unable to have a long-term and planned development Management.