英文摘要
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The Wuchang Electric Light Company was established in 1911. A group of Japanese merchants later assumed management of the company for several years. In 1926, the General Chamber of Commerce and two other social associations in Wuchang bought the company and reorganized it as the Wuchang Jingcheng Electric Power Company, but its existence only lasted for two months and seven days. It was then taken over by the Hubei Provincial Government. However, in 1928 it was returned to the merchants. In 1933 the Provincial Government took it over again to reorganize it, but the reorganization failed. Finally, the Provincial Government assumed ownership in 1935. Members of the company disputed this takeover for two years and nine months, but failed to retake possession of the company from the Government.
This paper consists of four sections discussing the factors that led to the failure of the company and the difficulties faced by the government in its takeover attempts. Wuchang Jingcheng's case was not unique. A shortage of funds, poor equipment, lack of technology, bad management, defective regulations, social poverty, natural disasters and civil wars were all factors generally affecting the electricity business in the early Republic of China. Successful development of the electricity business depended on the rational behavior of the government, the producers and the consumers of electrical power.
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