ARHIVELE OLTENIEI - Universitatea din Craiova

320Cezar Avram, Diana Păunoiu, Laura SavaThe most important economical centers in the area have been theeconomic markets until World War I. After that, there have been establishedpermanent weekly markets. In 1923, there have been 569 weekly markets, out ofwhich 44 dealt with cereals, 239 with cattle and 286 with both. The periodicalmarkets, 552, were held 3-4 times a year 12 . Inter-war statistics prove that thenumber of periodical markets doubled from 1923 to 1926, the number ofpermanent cereal markets raised 7 times and the cattle and merchandises’ marketsdoubled too 13 . The number of markets and cattle markets in Oltenia reached 23 in1926 (9% of the national total) 14 . Under the jurisdiction of the Chamber ofCommerce and Industry of Craiova (extended over the entire Oltenia), in 1924,only 8 cereal markets (Corabia, Caracal, Bechet, Bailesti, Cetate, Urzicuţa,Calafat, Turnu Severin) made a well- organized trade. In 1920, in Dolj and Gorjcounties only, there were 20 weekly markets, 8 cereal markets and 11 annualmarkets 15 . In 1929 after a few of them ceased to exist, their number still raised at24 (7 cereal markets and 17 annual or weekly cattle markets) 16 .The town- markets were very important for trade. There has been aweekly market between the two World Wars in each town of Oltenia. Theinternal regulations of cereal and cattle’ markets have been made according toArticle number 68 from Law concerning Trade and Article number 34 from theRegulation for applying Chapter 7 (Articles 59-69) from the Law concerningTrade with a view to markets, fares, cereals, merchandise and animals 17 .According to the provisions, the field on which they were held had to besurrounded and approved by the Hygiene Commission of the respective county,office, appointed mediators, trade unions, Managing and EvaluationCommission of the markets, etc. The communes in which there have been heldweekly cereal and cattle’ markets, have sent (in 1920) to the Chamber ofCommerce and Industry complete “pictures”. These detailed the names of thecommunal dealers approved by the local Town Halls in which they expressedtheir reasons, the names of the administrators of the markets, the means oftransportation for sanitary check and so on. In 1920, the Chamber of Commerceand Industry approved the organization of a series of markets, such as: Strehaia,Brabova (Dolj), Ciuperceni (Gorj), the cereal and cattle’ markets from Craiova,Cetate (Dolj), Bistreţu (Dolj), Caracal, Calafat, Târgu Jiu, Turnu Severin,12 I. Puia, A. Cherciu, G. Bogza, R. Vasile, Economical History, Bucureşti, Didactic andPedagogical Publishing House, 1979, p. 302.13 Paul Emanoil Barbu, …, op. cit., p. 166.14 Avram Cezar, Developing the Domestic market in 1918-1944, in “The Annuals of theUniversity of Craiova. Philosophy, Sociology, History”, year 6 th - 8 th (1982/1983), p. 286.15 The resume of The Chamber and the economic situation of district of The Chamberof Craiova in 1927, p. 31.16 Dolj National Archives, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Craiova, dossier 1.1929,unnumbered.17 “Economical Oltenia”, 6 th year (1929), issue 1/21, February, p. 3.