目前為止，臺灣經濟史研究者普遍強調戰前臺人資本積累過程「自主性」的一面，所謂「殖民者／被殖民者．臺資／日資」二元對立框架，在先行研究隱約可見。戰前臺人資本積累過程如何與日本殖民政府展開「連結」，則未被正式、全面性地檢討，可以說留下了進一步研究的空間。是故，本文擬以作為特許行業的人力輕便鐵道為例，分析戰前臺人資本如何以地方官廳為媒介，取得這項交通工具的經營權，並掌握地方重要物產運輸、展開資本積累。透過本文討論可知，日本殖民政府之所以仰賴臺人資本來發展人力輕便鐵道業，乃因日俄戰爭以前日人資本家尚無力前來臺灣。正由於人力輕便鐵道業被設定為特許行業，臺人資本在該業的積累過程可說是以日本殖民政府連結為前提展開。為了勸誘臺人資本經營人力輕便鐵道，臺灣總督府暨各地方官廳不僅無償提供企業設立所需的軌條、土地及相關資材，且協助臺人人力輕便鐵道業者打擊對其造成威脅的傳統交通工具、允許其訂定超出合理水準的運費，並放任他們忽視設備養護、安全性維持及壓榨「後押人夫」。臺人人力輕便鐵道業者於是得以在此過程中，創造高額利潤。

Past studies on economic history of Taiwan often highlighted the ＂independence＂ of Taiwanese in capital accumulation during the Japanese colonial era. Although traces of the binary opposition framework of Japanese vs. Taiwanese capital or the colonizer vs. the colonized could be seen in prior research, the relationship between Taiwanese capital accumulation and Japanese colonial government has not been examined. Using the case study of the Taiwanese push car railway (1903-1928), this paper analyzed how the local Taiwanese obtained the franchise of operating this means of transportation, thus enabling them to gain control of cargo transport and to further accumulate capital. The analysis revealed that Japan emerged comparatively late as a capitalist country; and it was only after the Russo-Japanese War that the Japanese financial clique, Zaibatsu, began making investments in Taiwan. In order to attract Taiwanese investment and operators, the Governor-General of Taiwan and the local governments provided basic infrastructure and equipment for operation and granted favorable concessions in terms of higher fare charged and less stringent requirements of safety and maintenance. Hence, Taiwanese franchisees were able to amass great profits. In this case, capital accumulation among Taiwanese was in fact facilitated by the Japanese colonial government.