The crises of 1935 and 1943
1935
On 27 April 1935, following instructions from the Comisión Nacional Bancaria the offices of the Banco Nacional de México, Banco Mercantil de Puebla, and Banco Regional de Crédito Agrícola de Puebla were closedLa Opinión, 27 April 1935. The lack of small change caused problems in the markets, on the trams and at the railways, and as businesses could not obtain money, they were unable to pay their wagesLa Opinión, 28 April 1935.
On 30 April the Banco Maciónal and Banco Mercantil de Puebla issued notices asking their customers not to issue cheques for less than five pesos, since they had no small currencyLa Opinión, 30 April 1935. The same day the local council decide to ask the Cámara Nacional de Comercio for its cooperation, and to sanction anyone who broke the recent lawLa Opinión, 4 May 1935.
Ten and twenty centavo coins arrived by 4 MayLa Opinión, 4 May 1935.
On 15 May the Secretaría de Hacienda sent the Presidente Municipal. Pablo Solis jr., a copy of its bookletAMPue, vol. 950, legajo S/L, fojas 482.
The same day, in response to the council’s accord of 30 April, the local Cámara Nacional de Comercio e Industria offered its cooperation. It said that its board, before it received the council’s letter on 6 May, had decided to issue $1 and $2 cheques, drawn on its account with the branch of the Banco Nacional de México, and made them available, without charge, to anyone interested, as evidenced by the numerous people who made use of this service, and with which it helped somewhat to alleviate the lack of silver coin, not only among merchants and industrialists, but with officials in the municipality, the state and federal officesAMPue, vol. 959, foja 485 letter of Isauro Uriate, President, to Presidente Municipal, Puebla, 15 May 1935.
On 16 May the Oficina Federal de Hacienda received some $1 notes and offered to exchange them though only for silver AMPue, vol. 950, legajo S/L, foja 488 letter Fernando Benavides, Jefe de Oficina, to Presidente Municipal, 16 May 1935. By 24 May it had still only received $1,000La Opinión, 24 May 1935.
1943
On 10 August 1943 the Cámara de Comercio in Puebla sent a telegram to its counterpart in Torreón for details of the cheques that the latter had issued. Torreón replied that it would send complete details by postEl Siglo de Torreón, 11 August 1943.