The Study On Highway Construction And Operation In Hubei Province(1923?1937)

Since modern times,the industry and commerce developed rapidly in Hubei Province,and the volume of commodity transportation increased accordingly.Because of its low efficiency and inconvenience,the traditional mode of transportation was difficult to adapt to the actual economic and military needs.Limited by financial resources,the government supported the local gentry to set up coach companies,which opened the curtain of highway construction in Hubei Province.At this point,the model of government-supervised and merchant-managed was established.Due to the practitioners'blind pursuit of profit and the lack of sufficient funds,technology and perfect system,the problems of poor quality roads and disordered management were becoming more and more obvious.In order to consolidate this important public utility for the military and economic needs,the KMT took over the coach companies forcibly and set up a special highway management agency after establishing power in Hubei Province,which marked the arrival of the government-controlled model.Under the administrative monopoly,the highway mileage of Hubei Province had increased obviously,and the organizational system and regulatory framework had been improved gradually.But at the same time,the government was criticized for some coercive,corrupt practices and poor supervision.Throughout the 1920s and 1930s,the highway traffic in Hubei Province was characterized by utilitarian construction,politicized development,systematic transportation and standardized management.While facilitating transportation and promoting changes in public perception,it was also faced with financial constraints,disasters and frequent wars.As a part of public utility,highway traffic played an important role in social production and people's life.Because of this,the intervention of government power ran through the development process of Hubei highway.In fact,the history of Hubei highway traffic during the period of the Republic of China was also the history of the government's increasing power and intervening in monopoly.The difference of power indirectly maked it divided into two periods:private and official.This was not only determined by the characteristics of monopoly and public welfare of public utilities,but also closely related to the government's control and actual demand.