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 Wash

ington on Monday, June 22, 1942, at 10:30 a.m.

PRESENT:

Mr. Eccles, Chairman

Mr. Sproul, Vice Chairman

Mr. Szymczak

Mr. McKee

Mr. Ransom

Mr. Draper

Mr. Evans

Mr. Alfred H. Williams

Mr. Gilbert

Mr. Young

Mr. Leedy

Mr. Morrill, Secretary

Mr. Carpenter, Assistant Secretary

Mr. Wyatt, General Counsel

Mr. Goldenweiser, Economist

Mr. John H. Williams, Associate Economist

Mr. Dreibelbis, Assistant General Counsel

Mr. Rouse, Manager of the System Open Mar

ket Account

Mr. Piser, Chief, Government Securities

Section, Division of Research and Sta

tistics of the Board of Governors

Mr. Berntson, Clerk in the Office of the

Secretary of the Board of Governors

Messrs. Paddock, Fleming, McLarin, Davis, and

Day, alternate members of the Federal Open

Market Committee

Messrs. Leach and Peyton, Presidents of the

Federal Reserve Banks of Richmond and Min

neapolis, respectively

Mr. Clayton, Assistant to the Chairman of the

Board of Governors

Mr. Smead, Chief of the Division of Bank

Operations of the Board of Governors

Mr. Sienkiewicz,

Conference

Secretary of the Presidents'

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Mr. Edmiston, Assistant Vice President of the

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Upon motion duly made and seconded, and

by unanimous vote, the minutes of the meeting

of the Federal Open Market Committee held on

May 8, 1942, were approved.

Upon motion duly made and seconded, and

by unanimous vote, the actions of the execu

tive committee of the Federal Open Market Com

mittee as set forth in the minutes of the

meeting of the executive committee held on

May 8, 1942, were approved, ratified, and

confirmed.

Upon motion duly made and seconded, and

by unanimous vote, the transactions in the

System account during the period from May 8

to June 20, 1942, inclusive, as reported by

Mr. Rouse at the meeting of the executive com

mittee immediately preceding this meeting, at

which all members of the Federal Open Market

Committee were present, were approved, rati

fied, and confirmed.

Upon motion duly made and seconded, and

by unanimous vote, the purchase by the New

York Bank as of June 16, 1942, of the special

Treasury certificate of indebtedness in the

amount of 58,000,000 and the handling for

the System account, in the manner outlined

by Mr. Rouse at the meeting of the executive

committee, of the special certificates sub

sequently purchased were approved, ratified,

and confirmed.

Chairman Eccles stated that, since the last meeting of the Com

mittee, members of the executive committee and of the staff had had

several discussions and telephone conversations with representatives

of the Treasury relating to Treasury financing, that an informal ar

rangement had been made under which members of the executive committee

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meet usually every two weeks with Mr. Bell and members of the Treasury

staff for the purpose of discussing problems relating to Treasury fi

nancing,

and that in accordance with this arrangement it

was contemplated

that another conference would be held on Tuesday, June 23, 1942, at 3:00

p.m.

Chairman Eccles then reviewed briefly the important problems

relating to Treasury financing which had been considered with the Treas

ury since the last meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee.

He

stated that, because of the success of the May financing and the very

substantial increase in the amount of tenders for Treasury bills result

ing from the efforts of the Federal Reserve Banks, the pressure for a

reduction in reserve requirements of member banks had been greatly re

lieved.

He also said that in one of the recent conferences the position

had been taken by the Federal Reserve representatives that there should

be further increases in the weekly offerings of Treasury bills to a

point where some of the bills purchased would be offered to the Federal

Reserve Banks by holders,

and that as a result of discussions at the

conference Secretary Morgenthau indicated that the weekly offering of

bills would be increased by an additional $50,000,000 beginning July 1,

1942.

He added that it

was felt that this method of supplying reserves

to the market gradually as they were needed was much to be preferred

to an over-all reduction in reserve requirements, which would increase

excess reserves by a large amount,

short-term rates.

with possible disturbing effects on

If the bill which would give the Board authority to

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reduce reserve requirements for banks in central reserve cities were

passed, Chairman Eccles said, it

might be found desirable to reduce

requirements at those points gradually as a means of supplying needed

reserves without taking action looking toward a general reduction in

reserve requirements.

Chairman Eccles made the further statement that in all of the

conferences with the Treasury members of the executive committee had

urged that everything possible be done to devise issues of securities

which would be taken by nonbank investors,

and thereby reduce the a

mount of Government financing that would have to be done through the

banks.

In this connection,

the Presidents'

Conference,

he suggested that it

would be helpful if

in its separate session tomorrow, would

adopt a statement for submission to the Treasury recommending that

types of securities be designed that could be used effectively in

reaching the different kinds of funds available, other than bank funds,

for investment in Government securities, and that responsibility be

placed upon the Victory Fund Committees to see that these securities

were sold.

only if

He said that these Committees could be fully effective

they were given an opportunity to sell securities of a type or

types which would attract the maximum amount of funds from outside the

banking system, and that it

was his feeling that if

this were done it

might be possible for the Treasury to raise as much as $1,000,000,000

a month through the medium of these issues.

extremely helpful if

He felt that it would be

a determination could be made of the maximum

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amount of funds that it

would be possible to get outside the banks so

that the extent to which the banks would have to be relied on could

be ascertained and decisions reached on that basis on questions of

policy with respect to open market operations and changes in reserve

requirements.

In a statement by Mr. Sproul supplementing Chairman Eccles'

comments,

he referred to the attitude of the bankers with whom the

Treasury had consulted that it

of nonmarket issues,

would be unwise to increase the number

and this point was discussed.

He also stressed

the fact that the present situation was one in which the Federal Open

Market Committee could not do anything more than was being done until

the remaining major problems relating to a Treasury financing program

had been decided by the Treasury, which would furnish a basis upon

which System open market policy could be determined.

He added that,

with this in mind, he sent to Chairman Eccles under date of June 19 a

list of questions which he felt should be discussed with the Treasury

and which would indicate to the Presidents the questions that he

thought should be decided from the standpoint of a financing program.

Messrs. Goldenweiser and John H. Williams were then called upon

for statements, and they discussed some of the effects of the war on

the economy and the problems of war financing during and following the

war period.

Summaries of their comments have been placed in the files

of the Federal Open Market Committee.

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In the discussion which ensued, there was agreement upon the

position that, from the standpoint of credit control, it was highly

desirable during the war period to sell securities as far as possible

outside the banks so as to avoid the creation of an unnecessarily large

volume of additional deposit funds and a resulting reserve situation

over which the Federal Reserve System would have no effective power of

control in the period following the war when the pressure for relaxa

tion of direct methods of control would be very strong.

At the conclusion of the discussion, Chairman Eccles suggested

that while the Presidents were in Washington there be a discussion of

the list of questions which had been suggested by Mr. Sproul for con

sideration with the Treasury, so that the members of the executive com

mittee would have the benefit of the views of the Presidents in their

conferences with the Treasury representatives.

Mr. Sproul proposed that,

inasmuch as further developments in

System open market policy were dependent upon decisions by the Treasury

in connection with the financing program, consideration be given at

this point to the instructions to be issued by the Federal Open Market

Committee to the executive committee, after which the views of the

Presidents could be obtained on the matters to be discussed with the

Treasury representatives in future conferences.

The suggestion was made that the resolution adopted by the

full Committee should include language expressly authorizing such

transactions in the System account as might be necessary in the prac

tical administration of the account.

In addition, Mr. Wyatt suggested

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that, in order that the language of the resolution might clearly cover

the purchase of special short-term certificates of indebtedness to pre

vent Treasury overdrafts, the resolution should expressly authorize

transactions for the purpose of granting temporary accommodation to the

Treasury.

There was unanimous agreement that both

of these changes in the resolution should be

made, and, upon motion duly made and seconded,

the following resolution was adopted by unani

mous vote:

That the executive committee be directed, until other

wise directed by the Federal Open Market Committee, to ar

range for such transactions for the System open market account,

either in the open market or directly with the Treasury (in

cluding purchases, sales, exchanges, replacement of maturing

securities, and letting maturities run off without replacement),

as may be necessary in the practical administration of the ac

count, or for the purpose of maintaining about the present gen

eral level of prices and yields of Government securities, or

for the purpose of maintaining an adequate supply of funds in

the market, or for the purpose of granting temporary accommoda

tion to the Treasury; provided that the aggregate amount of

securities held in the account at the close of this date

(other than Treasury bills purchased pursuant to the direction

of the Federal Open Market Committee issued under date of

April 30, 1942) shall not be increased or decreased by more

than $500,000,000.

The meeting then recessed and reconvened at 2:15 p.m. for the

purpose of considering the list

of topics submitted by Mr. Sproul for

discussion with representatives of the Treasury.

The attendance was

the same as at the morning session except that Messrs. Dreibelbis,

Clayton, Smead, and Berntson were not present.

At the beginning of the discussion, Chairman Eccles stated that

it was assumed that there was no difference of opinion on the part of

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the members of the Board and the Presidents of the Federal Reserve

Banks that a reduction in reserve requirements should be avoided as

long as possible and that a program of Government financing should be

devised which would result in as much of the necessary financing as

porsible being done outside the banks.

Eccles'

No disagreement with Chairman

statement was indicated.

There was a discussion of a question raised by Mr. Peyton as

to the amount of additional funds that could be attracted into bills

by a slightly higher rate.

Mr. McLarin suggested that consideration

be given to an arrangement under which the investor could purchase

bills at a fixed rate up to a certain amount and could bid for any

bills desired in excess of that amount.

At Chairman Eccles'

request, a memorandum prepared by Mr.

Piser under date of March 19, 1942, on the subject of Canadian financ

ing was read.

Chairman Eccles stated that the memorandum indicated

that Canada was doing a very much better job in financing its require

ments outside the banks than was being done in this country.

On the question of the amount of bills and certificates of in

debtedness that might be issued by the Treasury, Mr. Sproul suggested

that the Treasury could very well gradually increase its

bill offerings

to $400,000,000 weekly and could offer certificates of indebtedness in

the amount of $1,500,000,000 or $2,000,000,000 each quarter, which would

result in a total of between $11,000,000,000 and $13,000,000,000 of

short-term obligations outstanding.

He also expressed the opinion that

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this volume of short-term securities would be well within the capacity

of the market to absorb and would be desirable in the light of the

volume of financing to be done, even if it were necessary to increase

the rate on bills to 1/2 per cent to reach that volume.

In response

to an inquiry, he stated that he felt the Treasury should adopt a

fixed rate and a fixed maturity on the certificates of indebtedness,

and that, if the bill rate were 1/2 per cent, he would consider a rate

of 5/8 per cent for a six months'

nine months'

certificate or 3/4 per cent for a

certificate as desirable.

Sproul's suggestion, it

issue were offered it

In the discussion of Mr.

was pointed out that if

a short-term open-end

might not be necessary to have as large a volume

of bills and certificates outstanding as otherwise might be the case.

Mr. Ransom doubted the wisdom of raising with the Treasury at

this time the question of an increase in short-term rates.

Mr. Sproul

suggested that the System representatives could not advocate an increase

in the volume of outstanding short-term securities without taking the

position that they would approve some increase in rate if it should

develop that that was necessary.

however,

The point was made in

this connection,

that assurance should be given that, if the rate on bills were

increased,

bills purchased before the increase could be sold to the Fed

eral Reserve Banks at the discount rate of 3/8 per cent as long as they

were outstanding.

There was unanimous agreement that any change in the

rate at which the Federal Reserve Banks should stand ready to buy bills

should not affect the buying rate already established as to bills out

standing at the time of the change.

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Mr. Ransom suggested that consideration be given to the pos

sibility of maintaining present rates for the duration of the war.

The discussion did not develop an agreement on this point.

At Chairman Eccles'

request,

copies of a memorandum prepared

by Mr. Kennedy of the Board's staff on the subject of distribution of

Treasury bills were handed to the Presidents at this point.

Mr.

Goldenweiser referred to a chart showing the decline in recent years

in the proportion of short-term Government securities to the total out

standing direct debt and suggested that there was ample justification

for increasing the proportion of such securities.

With respect to proposals to increase to $5,000 the amount of

Series A tax anticipation notes which could be purchased in any one

calendar year and to increase the rate of interest paid on Series B

tax anticipation notes to .60 per cent,

it

was agreed that the in

crease in the limit on the Series A notes might be recommended to the

Treasury and the suggestion made that consideration be given to in

creasing the rate on the Series B notes at the proper time.

There was a discussion of whether the short-term open-end

registered issue which had been suggested to the Treasury should be

made available to banks as a means of meeting the objection that the

banks were the best customers of the Treasury, that they were denied

the opportunity of subscribing for riskless issues offered by the

Treasury,

and that they could buy only market issues on which they

assumed market risks.

There was general agreement that the short

term open-end issue was desirable,

that the executive committee

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should continue to urge its

sue more attractive it

use, and that as a means of making the is

should be made eligible as collateral for bor

rowing from banks.

Chairman Eccles stated that it

was contemplated that the Treas

ury would be faced with the necessity of doing about $4,000,000,000 of

new financing in July and August in addition to savings bonds and tax

anticipation notes.

He said that it was expected that the 2-1/2 per

cent registered bond would be reopened and the weekly offering of bills

increased, but that there would still be approximately $3,000,000,000

which would have to be financed by market issues, and that he was of

the opinion that, if

the short-term open-end issue were offered and

the Victory Fund Committees given the responsibility for selling it,

as much as

means.

$1,500,000,000 or $2,000,000,000 could be reached by that

He inquired whether the Presidents thought the Victory Fund

Committees could sell as much as $1,500,000,000 of the short-term is

sue.

Some of the Presidents replied in the affirmative while others

felt they had no basis for estimating the amount which might be sold.

They also expressed the opinion that it

was important that the Victory

Fund Committees be given something specific to do, and the suggestion

was made that the Presidents'

Conference,

in its

separate session to

morrow, adopt a statement to that effect which could be transmitted

to the Treasury.

Mr. Davis suggested that since Messrs. Sproul and

Alfred H. Williams had participated in the conferences with the Treas

ury they undertake the preparation of a draft of such a statement for

consideration by the Presidents' Conference.

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In connection with a discussion of the desirability of split

offerings and serial issues, Mr. Davis inquired whether the Board had

made an analysis of the latter.

Chairman Eccles stated that Mr. Piser

discussed this proposal in a memorandum dated May 27, 1942, and copies

of the memorandum were distributed to the Presidents during the meet

ing.

It appeared to be the sense of the meeting that, because of the

difficulty of pricing split offerings, they should be avoided as much

as possible and that the objections to serial issues outweighed the

advantages they might have.

Question was raised whether the 2-1/2 per cent registered is

sue should be reopened in connection with the forthcoming financing in

July and August.

The opinion appeared to be that this was desirable

and that the announcement of such offering should be made before July

when the 60-day period during which the outstanding issue could not be

traded would expire,

so that trading in the issue would not begin at a

premium which would be eliminated if the reopening of the issue were

subsequently announced.

Mr. Sproul suggested that the issue might be

kept open for a considerable time and that it

should be made eligible

for use in payment of estate and inheritance taxes.

This suggestion

appeared to be concurred in by the Presidents.

In connection with a discussion of the responsibility of the

Victory Fund Committees with respect to Series F and G war savings

bonds, Chairman Eccles stated that, although it

was now understood

by the Treasury that the Committees would do whatever they could to

6

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assist in the sales of these securities, the matter required some

clarification, as its present status was not satisfactory from the

standpoint of the Committees.

Thereupon, the meeting adjourned.

Secretary.