FOMC Minutes

A meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee was held in the

offices of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in

ashington on Thursday, March 19, 1936, at 10:45 a. m.

PRESENT:

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Eccles

Broderick

Szymcak

McKee

Ransom

Harrison

Mr. Fleming

Mr. McKinney

Mr. Hamilton

Mr. Morrill, Secretary

Mr. Wyatt, General Counsel

There was some further discussion of the proposed regulation of

the Federal Open Market Committee with regard to open market operations

of the Federal reserve banks.

At the conclusion of the discussion,

upon motion duly made and seconded, and by

unanimous vote, a regulation was approved

and adopted in the following form:

"SECTION 1.

"Pursuant to the authority conferred upon it by section 12A

of the Federal Reserve Act, as amended, the Federal Open Market

Committee prescribes the following regulations relating to the

open-market transactions of the Federal Reserve banks.

"The Federal Open Market Committee expressly reserves the

right to alter, amend, or repeal this regulation in whole or in

part at any time.

"SECTION 2.

DEFINITIONS

"(a) Government securities. - The term 'Government securi

ties' shall include bonds, notes, certificates of indebtedness,

Treasury bills, and other obligations of the United States,

including obligations fully guaranteed as to principal and

interest by the United States.

3/19/36

"(b) Obligations - The term 'obligations' shall include

all bankers' acceptances, bills of exchange, cable transfers,

bonds, notes, warrants, debentures, and other obligations, in

cluding Government securities, which Federal Reserve banks are

authorized by law to purchase in the open market.

"(c) System open market account. - The term 'system open

market account' applies to Government securities and other ob

ligations heretofore or hereafter purchased in accordance with

open market policies adopted by the Committee and held for the

account of the Federal Reserve banks.

"(d) Committee - The term 'Committee' shall mean the Fed

eral Open Market Committee.

"(e) Executive committee. - The term 'Executive Committee'

shall mean the executive committee of the Federal Open Market

Committee.

"SECTION 3.

GOVERNING PRINCIPLES

"By the terms of section 12A of the Federal Reserve Act,

as amended, the time, character, and volume of all purchases and

sales in the open market by Federal Reserve banks shall be gov

erned with a view to accommodating commerce and business and

with regard to their bearing upon the general credit situation

of the country.

"SECTION 4.

FEDERAL OPEN MARKET COMMITTEE

"(a) Functions. - The Committee shall consider the needs

of commerce, industry and agriculture, the general credit situa

tion of the country, and other matters having a bearing thereon

and consider, adopt, and transmit to the several Federal Reserve

banks, regulations and directions with respect to the open-market

operations of such banks under section 14 of the Federal Reserve

Act.

"(b) Participation in System Open Market Account. - The Com

mittee from time to time shall determine the principles which

shall govern the allocation among the several Federal Reserve

banks of Government securities and other obligations held in the

System Open Market Account, with a view to meeting the changing

needs of the Federal Reserve banks.

"SECTION 5.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

meeting

"(a) Organization - The Committee, at its first

after March 1 in each calendar year, shall select from its own

members an executive committee consisting of five members.

3/19/36

"(b)

Functions. - It shall be the duty of the Executive

Committee:

"1. To direct the execution of transactions in the

open market in accordance with the open-market policies

adopted by the Federal Open Market Committee;

"2. To allocate the Government securities and

other obligations held in the System Open Market Account

among the several Federal Reserve banks in accordance with

the principles determined by the Federal Open Market Com

mittee;

"3. To keep the members of the Federal Open Market

Committee informed of all transactions executed under the

direction of the Federal Open Market Committee and of all

allocations and reallocations of Government securities

and other obligations held in the System Open Market Ac

count; and

"4. To perform such other functions and duties in

connection with open-market operations as may be assigned

to it from time to time by the Federal Open Market Com

mittee.

"SECTION 6.

CONDUCT OF OPEN MARKET OPERATIONS

"Each Federal Reserve bank shall engage in open-market op

erations under section 14 of the Federal Reserve Act only in ac

cordance with this regulation and the directions issued by the

Committee from time to time, and no Federal Reserve bank shall

decline to engage in open-market operations as directed by the

Committee.

"Transactions for the System Open Market Account shall be

executed by a Federal Reserve bank selected by the Committee.

Fach Federal Reserve bank shall make available to the Federal

Reserve bank selected by the Committee such funds as may be

necessary to conduct and effectuate such transactions.

"SECTION 7. PURCHASES AND SALES OF GOVERNMENT SECURITIES

"No Federal Reserve bank shall purchase or sell Government

securities except pursuant to authority granted by the Committee

or in accordance with an open market policy adopted by the Com

mittee and in effect at the time.

"The Committee reserves the right, in its discretion, to

require the sale of any Government securities now held or here

after purchased by an individual Federal Reserve bank or to re

quire that such securities be transferred into the System Open

Market Account in accordance with such directions as the Com

mittee may make.

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"SECTION 8.

OTHER OPEN MARKET OPERATIONS

"Subject to directions of the Committee and the following

conditions, each Federal Reserve bank may engage in open-market

operations other than the purchase or sale of Government securi

ties:

"(1) All such transactions shall be reported daily to

the Secretary of the Committee on the day they take place.

"(2)

Only acceptances and bills of exchange which

are of the kinds made eligible for purchase under the pro

visions of Regulation B of the Board of Governors of the

Federal Reserve System may be purchased and the rates of

discount shall be established in accordance with the pro

visions of section 14(d) of the Federal Reserve Act: Pro

vided, further, That no obligations payable in foreign

currency shall be purchased except in accordance with

directions of the Committee.

"(3)

Only bills, notes, revenue bonds and warrants

of States, counties, districts, political subdivisions or

municipalities which are of the kinds made eligible for

purchase under the provisions of Regulation E of the Board

of Governors of the Federal Reserve System may be purchased.

"(4) No Federal Reserve bank shall engage in the

purchase or sale of cable transfers for its own account

except in accordance with the directions of the Committee;

Provided, That Federal Reserve banks may purchase and sell

cable transfers through the Habana agency in accordance

with the resolutions or regulations of the Board of Govern

ors of the Federal Reserve System governing the operations

of such agency."

President Harrison referred to section 7 of the regulation and

stated that, while he felt that the form in which the section had been

adopted was proper for the purposes of the regulation, he had expected

that the Committee would consider and act upon a proposal that authority

be granted by the Committee under which, in an emergency, any Federal

reserve bank might purchase Government securities when necessary to

afford relief in a situation involving specific banking institutions

in its district, or, after obtaining the consent of the Federal Open

3/19/36

arket Committee, might purchase or sell Government securities for its

o,

account, all such purchases and sales to be reported promptly to

the Federal Open Market Committee and its executive committee.

President Harrison moved that the question

of granting such authority be taken up for action

at this meeting. Mr. Harrison's motion was

seconded by Mr. McKee.

After discussion of questions as to the

necessity for taking action at this meeting and

as to when and in what circumstances situations

might arise prior to the next meeting of the

Committee which would necessitate such authority

in the meantime, the motion was put by the Chair

and lost, Messrs. Eccles, Szymczak, Fleming,

McKinney, and Hamilton voting "no" for the reason

that they felt that the matter required further

study and they, therefore, favored deferring ac

tion on the matter until the next meeting of the

Messrs. McKee and Ransom stated that

Committee.

their votes were not to be understood as favorable

to the granting of the authority as proposed but

were solely in order that the subject might be

brought up for discussion at this time.

Chairman Eccles referred to the fact that the Federal Open Market

Committee had not selected the members of the executive committee.

Upon motions duly made and seconded, and

by unanimous votes Messrs. Eccles, Szymczak,

Ransom, Harrison and Fleming were selected as

members of the executive committee.

Upon motions duly made and seconded, and by

unanimous votes, the Committee selected Messrs.

Broderick, Morrison, and McKee as alternates to

serve, in the order named, in the absence of Mr.

Eccles, Mr. Szymczak, or Mr. Ransom, and Messrs.

Hamilton and McKinney were selected as alternates

to serve, in the order named, in the absence of

Mr. Harrison or Mr. Fleming.

At this point Mr. E. A. Goldenweiser, Economist for the Committee,

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3/19/36

and Mr. W. R. Burgess, Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of

New York, joined the meeting.

Upon motion duly made and seconded, and by

unanimous vote, the open market operations that

had taken place from March 1, 1936, to date were

taken up for consideration.

Thereupon, Mr. Burgess submitted a written report of open market

operations from March 1 to March 16, 1936, inclusive, and called atten

tion to various features of the report and exhibits attached thereto

which he discussed briefly.

He called particular attention to the

formula (the ratio of expenses,

to the total for all

dividends and charge offs of each bank

banks) upon the basis of which holdings of Govern

ment securities had been allocated to the various Federal reserve banks

and to a possible substitute for that formula as set out in the exhibit

"H" attached to the report, pointing out that departures from the exist

ing formula had been necessary as shown by actual holdings of the re

spective Federal reserve banks.

During the course of the discussion it

was understood that Mr. Burgess would supplement his written report so

as to bring it

down to date.

Upon motion duly made and seconded, the

Committee agreed, by unanimous vote, to con

tinue in effect, pending further consideration

and action by the Committee, the formula adopted

by the Federal Open Market Committee as consti

tuted prior to March 1, 1936, and the practice

followed under its authority, with respect to

allotments to the various Federal reserve banks

of Government securities held in the System open

market account, and to request the executive

committee to consider the matter and submit at

the next meeting of the full Committee a recom

mendation as to whether this formula should be

retained and, if not, what formula should be

adopted.

It was understood that this action included

authority on the part of the executive committee

to continue to make readjustments in the holdings

among the individual Federal reserve banks in accord

ance with the practice which was followed under the

formula and authority of the Federal Open Market

Committee as constituted prior to March 1, 1936.

Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was

unanimously agreed that the Secretary of the Com

mittee should send to each member of the Committee a

copy of the minutes of each meeting of the Committee

and of the executive committee, and also that he

should furnish to members of the official staff of

the full committee and the executive committee copies

of such minutes, with the exception that copies of

minutes of executive sessions of the Committee and

executive committee should be sent only to members

of the Committee.

In this connection, it was understood that the

Secretary should follow the practice which had pre

vailed in connection with the proceedings of the

former Federal Open Market Committee of furnishing

each member of the Committee in attendance upon a

meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee or

executive committee with a preliminary draft of the

minutes of such meeting for the purpose of enabling

him to suggest such changes as may be desirable in

the interest of accuracy prior to final approval of

the minutes at the next meeting.

Upon motion duly made and seconded, and by

unanimous vote, the Committee ratified all trans

actions for the System open market account, and

all open market transactions by individual Federal

reserve banks for their individual accounts, which

had taken place during the period from March 1 to

March 19, 1936, inclusive; the transactions thus

ratified which involve Government securities for the

System open market account being set forth in reports

filed with the Secretary of the Federal Open Market

Committee by Vice President Burgess of the Federal

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3/19/36

Reserve Bank of New York and the

thus ratified being set forth in

individual Federal reserve banks

Governors of the Federal Reserve

other transactions

reports made by the

to the Board of

System.

The meeting recessed and reconvened at 2:50 p. m.,

with the same

attendance as at the morning session, including Messrs. Goldenweiser and

Burgess.

Upon motion duly made and seconded,

unanimously agreed to invite Mr. Elliott

Special Assistant to the Chairman of the

Governors of the Federal Reserve System,

this meeting.

it was

Thurston,

Board of

to attend

In accordance with this action, Mr. Thurston joined the meeting

at this point.

Upon the suggestion of Chairman Eccles, Mr. Goldenweiser made a

brief resume of the general business and credit situation.

He stated

that so far as business was concerned there had been a slight recession

from the high point of December.

In this connection, he pointed out that

under a change in practice in the automobile industry new models had been

put out earlier than had been customary, with the result that the index

figures indicated a greater recession than was actually true if

allowance were made for this change.

due

He added that the general tone of

business seemed to be about the same as in December, but that very

recently there had been some improvement.

He suggested that building

construction was the most important single item that should be watched

at this time, and that building was recovering, but rather slowly.

He also stated that there had been no growth in commercial loans

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3/19/36

of banks and little

growth in security loans although there

had been an

increase in recent months in the amount of investments by banks, chiefly

in Government securities, and a corresponding growth in deposits.

He

stated further that adjusted demand deposits were higher than at any time

in the history of the country but that total bank deposits, including

Government deposits and time and savings deposits, but excluding inter

bank deposits, were still

substantially below the peak.

In answer to a

question he stated that the deposits of mutual savings banks were not

included in this comparison.

He commented that, although deposits were

approaching the peak, industrial activity was still

from 20% to 25% be

low the peak, and that excess reserves had decreased to about

$2,400,000,000 as the result of recent Treasury financing operations.

He stated that gold imports had ceased, and that the best information

available indicated that they were not likely to be large within the next

few months so that apparently there would be no material increase in ex

cess reserves from that source.

be a gradual increase in

funds,

He thought, however, that there would

excess reserves, as the Treasury expended its

in the course of the next several weeks,

to somewhere around

$3,000,000,000, but probably not above that amount.

During a discussion of the instructions to be given to the

executive committee with regard to the administration of the System open

market account pending another meeting of the full Committee,

it

was

agreed that the committee should have such authority as may be necessary

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3/19/36

in the proper administration of the System account to enable it

to re

place maturing securities and to make shifts in maturities to meet

changing market conditions.

It

was also agreed that the executive

committee should have some limited authority for shifts in the account

from shorter maturities to Government bonds.

Accordingly, upon motion duly made and

seconded the committee, by unanimous vote,

instructed the executive committee to direct

the replacement of maturing securities in the

System account with other Government securities

and to make such shifts between maturities in

the account as may be necessary in the proper

administration of the account, provided that

the amount of securities maturing within two

years be maintained at not less than $1,000,000,000

and that the amount of bonds be not over

It was understood that the

$350,000,000.

authority granted to the executive committee

by the above action would continue only until

the next meeting of the Federal Open Market

Committee.

It

was also the consensus of the members present that the execu

tive committee should have authority to buy or sell (which would include

authority to allow maturities to run off) securities for the System open

market account within reasonable limits as to amount, in order that the

Committee might be in a position to act promptly if

circumstances not

now foreseen should make such action desirable before a further meeting

of the full Committee..

Accordingly, upon motion duly made and

seconded the executive committee, by unanimous

vote, was authorized, subject to telegraphic or

written approval by a majority of the members of

the Federal Open Market Committee, to direct the

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3/19/36

purchase or sale of Government securities for the

System open market account up to an aggregate

amount of $250,000,000.

Upon motion duly made and seconded, authority

was granted, by unanimous vote, to each individual

Federal reserve bank holding Government securities

in its own portfolio to replace maturing securities

in such account, and, with the approval of the

executive committee, to make shifts between maturi

ties in the account, provided that no change in

the total amount of Government securities held by

the Federal reserve bank was effected by such trans

actions.

It was pointed out that the authority granted to the Federal re

serve banks by the action last referred to above corresponded to that

granted to the executive committee in connection with the administration

of the System open market account and was necessary for the same reasons.

President Harrison pointed out that in the past Regulation "M"

covering open market operations by the Federal reserve banks had pro

vided that no obligations payable in foreign currencies shall be purchased

without the consent of the Federal Reserve Board.

He said that the Fed

eral Reserve Bank of New York for many years had held for the account of

the Federal reserve banks certain balances, particularly in

England,

the Bank of

the Bank for International Settlements, and the Bank of France;

and that the balances held with these banks had been invested to some

extent in bills.

He pointed out that in these circumstances authority

should be granted by the Committee to enable the Federal reserve banks

to purchase bills which are payable in foreign currencies to replace as

they mature the bills now held by foreign central banks for the account of

3/19/36

-12

the Federal reserve banks so as to maintain the existing portfolio.

also pointed out that the balances originally held in

He

the Bank of England,

the Bank of France and the Bank for International Settlements had been

greatly reduced and stated that he believed that in the course of time

the amount held in

the account with the Bank for International Settlements

could be substantially further reduced.

In accordance with President Harrison's

suggestion, upon motion duly made and seconded,

the Committee, by unanimous vote, authorized

the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to direct

the purchase of bills payable in foreign

currencies in such amounts as may be necessary

to replace maturing bills now held for the account

of Federal reserve banks by foreign central banks,

including the Bank for International Settlements,

President Harrison pointed out that the regulation adopted by

the Federal Open Market Committee requires the executive committee to

keep the full Committee informed of all

transactions executed under the

direction of the full Committee and stated that it

had been the practice

in the past to send to all Federal reserve banks weekly reports of opera

tions in the System open market account.

After a discussion it was agreed as the

sense of the meeting that the existing practice

in this regard should be continued without

change.

It was also agreed as the sense of the

meeting that any member of the Federal Open

Market Committee representing the Federal re

serve banks should have the privilege of re

porting to the boards of directors of the banks

participating in his election that a meeting of

the Committee had been held, that the Committee

had adopted regulations and by-laws, and that

3/19/36

-15the Committee had selected the organization which

had been set up. It was agreed that there should

be no report of the discussions or the positions

taken by the individual members of the Committee

in such discussions.

It was also understood that a copy of the

by-laws would be sent by the Secretary to the

president of each Federal reserve bank with

the advice that the by-laws might be read at the

next meeting of the board of directors of the

bank subject to an understanding on the part of

the directors that they should be treated as

confidential.

The Committee noted the receipt of a letter

dated March 12 to the Committee from President

Hamilton of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas

City in regard to certain purchases of Government

securities from the Federal Land Bank of Omaha

under repurchase agreements and instructed the

Secretary to furnish copies to all members of the

Committee and to place the matter on the program

for consideration at the next meeting.

It was agreed as the sense of the meeting

that the next meeting of the Federal Open Market

Committee should be held on April 50, with the

understanding that this would not prevent the

calling of an earlier meeting.

Thereupon the meeting adjourned.

Secretary.

Approved: