The Research Of The Ware-housing Industry Of Hankow In The Republic Of China

Hankow was a typical commercial city and a boom of ware-housing industry was a guarantee of the powerful radiant ability of a commercial center.Hankow’s ware-housing industry arose in the early years of the republic of China,developing from the stage of by-business to profession,and finally to the stage of combined-business.Meanwhile, its diversified development paths promoted the boom of Hankow’s ware-housing industry. To meet the demands of economic development, the ware-housing industry set up a corresponding system and take some measures in the establishment of storehouses,organization structure,staff management and business function.In the period of the Republic of China,Hankow’s ware-housing industry developed a definite business scope,business lines and storage charges and so on.The improvement of the organizational function in ware-housing industry increased the dependence of traveling traders to it.Especially after1927,the cooperation with banks helped to solve the problem of capital shortage. Thus, the ware-housing industry gradually became an irreplaceable part in Hankow’s commodity circulation.When transported to Hankow, goods must be preserved in stacks at first, which gradually became a fixed model.Traveling traders and ware-houses in Hankow were inseparable, interdependent and coexisting. By the coexisting model between traveling traders and ware-houses, traveling traders got convenience in goods custody,capital financing, insurance,transition and trading,which reduced the breakdown in interregional trade, reinforced the links between Hankow and the hinterland,expanded hinterland of Hankow and promoted the goods circulation between the port and the hinterland.There were much difficulties in the development of Hankow’s ware-housing industry. After1927,affected by the severe political situation, a sharp contraction lied in Hankow’s trade with the worsening economy and ware-housing industry was confronted with crisis. Hence, banks was the first port of call for ware-houses. The ware-housing businessmen introduced mortgages to traveling traders, made mortgages agency for banks one after another,and then signed a contract with the bank and finally became a designated ware-house for banks. Meanwhile wharf dispute was the most important impeding factor all along. The ware-housing businessmen made uphill fights with wharf forces and government to reduce disputes and blackmail from dockers, struggling for the benefits of both ware-houses and traveling traders.In a word, the development of Hankow’s ware-housing industry in the period of the Republic of China had carried on the difficult exploration, which improved their business and provided traveling traders with more convenience.Also, the scale and the ability of financing of ware-housing industry had a direct impact on the scale of trades between Hankow and the hinterland.