天津本是中国北方的大商埠。但是,经过八国联军的入侵,百业都受到很大影响。尤其是天津的商业受到的影响更大。清光绪二十九(1903)五月一日,经邑绅王贤宾、宁世福、卞熤光商议,成立天津商务公所,以资救济天津商业。
        光绪三十一年(1905),经商部议准,改组为天津商务总会。由王贤宾任总理,宁世福任协理。并筹设天津商务中学等学校和商报诸事。使“公所成立之初,规模粗具” ,“至是始渐臻完善” 。会址初设在估衣街豫章会馆,光绪三十一年(1905),迁至北马路。
        1913年,天津商务总会进行改组,叶登榜被选为总理,卞荫昌为副理。1920年,又改组,更名为天津总商会。卞荫昌任会长。1927年,卞荫昌去世,改选张仲元为会长,王益宝为副会长。1931年春,届期改选,张仲元、杨晓琳、杨西园、王文典、王晓岩选为常务委员,张仲元为主席。天津总商会之名改称天津市商会。
        据民国二十二年(1933)《津商会档案》记载: 1931年改组后,“原拟于各种建设事业多所努力,惟就职之后,即值地方多事故捐税繁增,而东省风云同时逐渐吃紧,故两年以来所有精神、财力皆消磨于奋斗苛税、应付环境之中,而于建设事业大多未能举办。不过对于开拓海外贸易及维持国货两端,差可稍尽职责。其开拓海外贸易,如派员赴南洋各地考察商业及沟通两地国货,力求推销尚觉粗有成绩。”
        天津商会是中国最早成立的商会之一。它是近代市场经济的产物,是工商业资产阶级的法人团体。它在中国的商会中最具代表性。它的成立,对引导商民了解认识世界,开通风气,引进先进的科学技术,推动社会生产力的发展,沟通工商企业与政府的关系,调解商务纠纷,平息和缓金融风潮,进行商情调查等方面,都做了大量工作。

        

·20世纪30年代天津商会赠公安局的消防机车试车情况

        Tianjin had been a big trade port in north China.However,the invasion of the Eight Powers of the AlliedForces caused dramatic destruction of the vocation ofindustries,especially of trade,in Tianjin. In May 1st,1903 (the 29th year of Emperor Guangxu),gentriesWang Xianbing,Ning Shifu and Bian Yiguang decidedto set up Tianjin Trade Association(whose purpose wasto protect the proprietor`s interests) to revitalize trade inTianjin.
        In 1905 (the 31st year of Emperor Guangxu),approved by Trade Department of the royal government,Tianjin Trade Organization was reorganized into TianjinTrade Union General. Wang Binxian was appointed asthe director,and Ning Shifu the deputy director. Theyalso prepared to found Tianjin Trade Middle School andTianjin Trade Newspaper. These events made TianjinTrade and Commerce Union influential in industrycircles in Tianjin and made industries in Tianjin well ontheir way. The initial address of the Union was located inYuzhang Hall in Guyi Street. It moved to North Street in1905 (the 31 st year of Emperor Guangxu).
        In 1913,Tianjin Trade Union General wasrestructured. Ye Dengbang was elected as the directorand Bian Yinchang the deputy director. In 1913,it wasrestructured the third time and was renamed TianjinGeneral Trade Union with Bian Yinchang as its director.When Bian Yinchang died in 1927,Zhang Zhongyuanwas elected as the director and Wang Yibao the deputydirector. In the spring of 1931,Zhang Zhongyuan,Yang Xiaolin,Yang Xiyuan,Wang Wendian and WangXiaoyan were elected as members of the standingcommittee and Zhang Zhongyuan the director of theunion. Tianjin General Trade Union was also renamedTianjin Trade Union.
        According to the Record of Tianjin Trade Unionin 1933 after the restructure in 1931,Zhang Zhongyuanplanned to dedicate his effort to multiple constructionsof industries. However,many events took place inTianjin after he took his office and there was heavyand multifarious tallage levied to trade. Situation innorth-east China was also tight. Therefore,he struggledhimself physically and spiritually in tackling with theharsh tallage and tight environment. Those constructionsof industries he had planned had to be left aside.However,he did have managed to explore foreign tradeand maintain national industry,for example,he has sentdelegations to investigate trade in areas of south PacificOcean and promote exchange between China and areasof south Pacific Ocean.
        Tianjin Trade Union was one of the earliestin China. As a legal entity of bourgeois trade andcommerce,it was the result of market economics inmodern China. It was a typical representative of tradeunions in China. It did a lot in helping businessmen inTianjin know the world,in introducing modern scienceand technology,in pushing forward social productivity,in communicating between industries and government,in settling trade disputes,in appeasing financial stormand in trade investigating.