Autonomy, to a certain extent, whenever Lianyungang is mentioned, Lianyungang autonomy is often mentioned, just like Nantong autonomy. In China, Nantong autonomy and Longhai autonomy are the same. Although they are one province and one territory, they are one province and one territory.

But they are divided into one south and one north. The former is known as the "model", but later it is praised as a "model" by the Chinese people.

Unlike Nantong Autonomy, which is governed by Zhang Jian's "personal rule", everything is planned and promoted by Zhang Jian, and is called "Dun" according to its name. Lianyun Autonomy, which represents Longhai Autonomy, is completely based on the government held by the railway affiliated areas.

The privilege of not intervening has just been implemented again.

After Lianyun opened as a port, due to the fact that Lianyun had no taxes and no officials, coupled with Lianyun's deliberate efforts to attract investment, a group of businessmen soon came to Lianyun to buy land or rent land to build houses, and set up companies and factories.

During the construction process of Lianyun, Li Zicheng, who is the chairman of Liuhe Company and the chairman of Longhai Railway Company, has both macro-level guiding ideology and micro-specific planning. As the chief designer of the modernization construction along the Longhai Line, he can

He said that the entire Longhai Railway is a reflection of his personal will.

However, as a large number of businessmen poured into Lianyun, the Lianyun Autonomous Association came into being. Under the auspices of Mu, the first land users meeting was held in Lianyun Hotel in June of the second year of the Republic of China, and thirteen people were elected to form Lianyun.

Commercial Port and Port Committee, this meeting stipulated to some extent the date for the landowners' meeting and the terms of reference of the meeting.

The establishment of the Commercial Port Committee means that Lianyun has been transformed from corporate management to public management. Every January, a landowners meeting is convened at the Longhai Railway Land Management Company to discuss matters such as payment of donations. These donations are used to build and repair roads.

Piers, sewers, and parks are also used for road cleaning, setting up street lights, education and other public expenditures. Revenue donations are recorded at all times and handed over to land users once a year. Land renters review them. The land users meeting is responsible for planning municipal public facilities.

Responsibilities include construction, raising expenses for various affairs, deciding to collect donations, reviewing the accounts of the management committee, etc.

At the beginning of the third year of the Republic of China, the land users' meeting passed a resolution stipulating that the number of land users attending the meeting should not be less than one-third of all land users. After being approved by the Longhai Railway Land Management Company, the relevant resolutions have legal effect. If the land users

Any amendments to a resolution must be seconded by other land users participating in the meeting, otherwise the amendment will be invalid and the original resolution will be put to a vote.

At the same time, a resolution was also passed that all land users with an estimated land value of 1,000 yuan or less than 1,000 yuan are entitled to one voting right. For every 1,000 yuan increase in land valuation, one voting right will be increased. It also stipulates that all land users who pay rent

Those whose floor rent exceeds NT$500 can also receive a voting right.

In fact, the reason why the Chinese call Longhai Autonomy a "model" is precisely based on the systematic autonomy charter and autonomous institutions, and the Land Owners Conference is the basis of Lianyun Autonomy. This autonomy model is imitated from the Shanghai Concession.

, the promotion along the Longhai Railway, in the eyes of some people, is the first of "local autonomy" in China, completely getting rid of the rule of man and turning it into public rule.

Public affairs are free to be decided by the public. Although land users' meetings also have shortcomings like this and that, after all, this has set a precedent. Lianyun Commercial Port Committee, Haizhou Commercial Port Committee, Xuzhou Commercial Port Committee, and Land Use Autonomous Committee along the Line were successively established.

Later, in June of the third year of the Republic of China, another organization was established in Lianyun - the Longhai Autonomous Conference.

The birth of the Longhai Autonomous Conference shows to a large extent that, at least on the surface, the Longhai Railway Company has completely handed over the management of railway land to this public institution, although on the other hand, the Longhai Railway Company owns more than half of the land.

Seats, but no one would think otherwise. In China, at least in Longhai, a "civil society" is being formed step by step. The citizens and businessmen living here have understood a truth through the land users' meeting - they have

The right to govern oneself.

The Longhai Autonomous Association is not very conspicuous on the ground in Lianyungang, and some people have never even heard of this place. However, no one can deny that the Autonomous Association is playing its role.

"Boss Liu, this is going to be a war!"

"Boss Wei, is it appropriate for you and us to get involved in this matter?"

"No, if there is a war, we will be in misery..."

"Hey, let me tell you, this old man may have been a little careless about this plan!"

In the meeting room of the Autonomous Association, there were dozens of bosses with hundreds of thousands of yuan in assets along Longhai. Most of them were talking to each other.

Yu Hongyu, the general manager of Gonghe Chemical, who was looking at everyone there, found it funny. Among these people, there were a few who did not benefit from the chairman, and a few of them dared to pat their chests and say that the company he ran in Longhai did not.

Get help and support from the chairman.

Just like Gonghe Chemical, Yu Hongyu established Gonghe Phosphate Fertilizer Company using the commission from Haizhou's phosphate rock, but the phosphate fertilizer formula was given to him by the chairman. As the only phosphate fertilizer company in China, Gonghe Phosphate Fertilizer monopolizes the production of experimental farms.

Fertilizer supply, also with the help of the Agricultural Technology Institute, sells phosphate fertilizer to Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu and other places. After relying on phosphate fertilizer to become rich, at the suggestion of the chairman, a huge joint venture was built with Liuhe Company at the beginning of the year.

In the Republic Dye Factory, Liuhe Company acquired 50% of the shares through technology investment. The production of chemical dyes has always been monopolized by European countries. In Asia, there are zero dye production companies, and in the United States, there are only two or three chemical industry companies.

Dyes are late in the market, but the market demand for chemical dyes is very large. However, the dye factory of Gonghe Chemical Company happened to be put into trial production in August. In addition to being snapped up by domestic manufacturers, the first batch of dyes even received many

Orders from Japanese and American companies amounting to 3 million yuan.

It can be said that it was with the help of the chairman that Gonghe Phosphate Fertilizer changed from a fertilizer company to a chemical group company. In Yu Hongyu's eyes, this war broke out at the right time, and he wanted it more than anyone else.

The bigger the scale of this European war, the longer the fight, the better. Dyes, this is the trump card product of Republic Chemical. Now the dye industry is monopolized by Britain and Germany. The expansion of the war means that the dye industries of the two countries are very likely to

Production will be stopped or converted. Once Germany stops exporting dyes to the United States, 4 million people in the United States will have nothing to do. At that time, Republic Chemical can replace Britain and Germany and export dyes to the United States.

"Boss Yu, look at who they are!"

Gu Zhaozhen turned to Yu Hongyu and said, he is the chairman of China Celluloid Company. Like Yu Hongyu, China Celluloid Company also has shares in Liuhe Company. Of course, in his opinion, exchanging shares for technology is undoubtedly the most cost-effective deal.

Buying and selling, celluloid technology is not complicated, but for those who initially only made silk edges, engaging in celluloid manufacturing means a certain change. Now China Celluloid Company can not only produce low-grade artificial ivory, but also produce movies, camera films, etc.

However, for Gu Zhaozhen, he has always had an ambition in his heart, which is to acquire the four rayon factories owned by China Chemical Industry under the name of Liuhe Company.

But at this time, those bosses who, like him, had benefited from the chairman to some extent, were worried and dissatisfied with their words because of the Jiao'ao incident, but he felt a little contempt in his heart, and accepted every drop of favor.

Yongquan reciprocated, but he didn't let them repay Na Na. In the end, he didn't even support the chairman's important affairs. Who is Na Na?

"They can't understand!"

The speaker was An Fusheng, the boss of Xuzhou Suwan Shoe Manufacturing Company. Although he has not directly benefited from the chairman, it is well known that the Jiangsu Army and the Labor Corps order military boots from him. I heard that he is also planning to get involved in ready-made clothing recently.

Manufacturing, to put it bluntly, is probably still a business involving hundreds of thousands of people and millions of pieces of clothing a year.

"No matter what, the old man wants to fight this battle because of the strategic plan. Of course he has his reasons. I don't have much vision, but I know that the chairman treats me well. At this time, I can't pretend to be a grandson!"

Although the words came out, the reason was this. In the past, they had always been grateful to the chairman and the company, so naturally they couldn't cause trouble to the chairman at this time.

"It's a pity that there are always some people whose conscience goes as far as the dog's belly!"

"I can't say that, I can only say...well, some people can't understand it!"

Sun Que looked at the small group of people, his brows furrowed. In this room, they represented the land users of Longhai Autonomous Region. They were just land users. They were more from a commercial perspective.

To consider the problem instead of considering the problem from the public interest of Longhai as a whole, perhaps this is a limitation to some extent.

If the Longhai Autonomous Association is changed to an autonomous association with the participation of public representatives, can some changes occur? Compared with any other Chinese city, Longhai has advantages that other cities cannot match. There will be no place here.

Everyone who comes here is a new guest. This is also the most fundamental reason why autonomy is promoted here without considering the obstruction of local forces.

Here we insist that people decide major matters related to their own destiny through the voting process. If this principle of autonomy is changed to people deciding major matters related to their own destiny through choice.

Will this change anything?

"Looking back, I have to replace everyone here!"

Across the wall, he pointed in the direction of the hall, where nearly a hundred representatives of land users from the Longhai area were sitting, and Li Zicheng said flatly.

If the biggest flaw of Longhai's autonomy lies in it, I'm afraid it is the land user system. The land user system actually excludes the possibility of every citizen here to participate in self-governance. Capital restrictions make it impossible for them to participate at all.

"Jing Luezhi, what are you going to do?"

This former aide to Chen Qimei, the current chairman of the Longhai Autonomous Committee, and the highest-ranking official in the Longhai Autonomous Region in a practical sense, asked a question with a smile.

"autonomy!"

Li Zicheng still uttered two words.

"They think autonomy is complicated, but in fact it is very simple. It is nothing more than a business area where men gather together to solve problems. It is a mistake to learn from the land user system of the concession! Because this is not a concession!"

After checking the time, Li Zicheng, who knew it was almost time, added another sentence before going out.

"In all of China, there is no place more suitable for promoting popular autonomy than Longhai, because here, freedom is unrestricted, here, there are no city walls in the towns, and more importantly, there are no traditional habits!"

At this point, Li Zicheng opened the door and walked outside. Now he only has one mission, which is to get their support, even if it is only superficial support, to eliminate the fear in their hearts.

Different from the heated debates in foreign local councils and meetings of land tenants in the Shanghai Concession, at the Lianyungang Longhai Autonomous Conference, there were no heated debates. Instead, each speaker expressed his or her views on the stage in order to win over others.

support.

"...It can be said that if the war breaks out from Jiao'ao, it will most likely spread to Lianyun and even the entire Longhai. By then..."

Finally, after the last speaker expressed his opinion, Li Zicheng walked slowly onto the stage and looked at those around him who had originally set up this land user meeting to show weakness. In fact, the purpose of choosing the land user system in the first place was

Because he holds more than 80% of the voting rights. If he votes, he will support himself, but at this time, he must convince them. To a certain extent, they are the backbone of Longhai, but Longhai is himself.

If Long Hai can't support him and stand by his side, then who else will support him?

"Why do we have to fight this war with Japan?"

Standing on the podium, Li Zicheng asked rhetorically?

"For Qingdao? For the country? For dignity? For reputation?"

After several rhetorical questions in succession, Li Zicheng said again with certainty.

"neither!"

Shaking his head, Li Zicheng knew that they were far from understanding the connection between Jiaoao and Lianyun, let alone why he persisted. Perhaps it was because of his understanding of Japan that he persisted so much.

"The Germans want to return Qingdao to us, but the Japanese say "no". It is Japan that occupies Guandong. Now they want to use the Jiaoao issue to extend their hands to Jiaoao and Shandong. This will of course conflict with China.

conflict with national interests."

"National interest!"

This word was the most frequently used word in the international community from the early 19th century to the 20th century. In this century, conspiracies, diplomacy and wars between countries all centered on this. It was also

It was most popular among diplomats and military personnel of the era.

There is no doubt that the industrial revolution that started in England in the 18th century changed the civilizational system of the entire Europe after entering the 19th century. As a result, the phenomenon of the Warring States Period emerged centered on the industrial countries of Europe. It evolved into a global phenomenon.

The pathological state of seizing colonies and markets from other uncivilized areas. Countries began to have physiological needs in this regard. This is the so-called imperialism.
To be continued...