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 Tuesday, March 2,

PRESENT:

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

1943, at 10:10 a.m.

Eccles, Chairman

Sproul, Vice Chairman

Szymczak

McKee

Ransom

Evans

Paddock

Fleming

McLarin

Peyton (alternate for Mr. Day)

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Morrill, Secretary

Carpenter, Assistant Secretary

Goldenweiser, Economist

John H. Williams, Associate Economist

Wyatt, General Counsel

Dreibelbis, Assistant General Counsel

Rouse, Manager of the System Open

Market Account

Mr. Clayton, Assistant to the Chairman of

the Board of Governors

Mr. Thomas, Assistant Director of the

Division of Research and Statistics of

the Board of Governors

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. Leach and Young, alternate members

of the Federal Open Market Committee

Messrs. Alfred H. Williams, Leedy, and Gilbert,

Presidents of the Federal Reserve Banks of

Philadelphia, Kansas City, and Dallas, re

spectively

Messrs. Bryan and Clerk, First Vice Presidents

of the Federal Reserve Banks of Atlanta and

San Francisco, respectively

Messrs. Sienkiewicz, MacKenzie, and Upgren,

Vice Presidents of the Federal Reserve

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Banks of Philadelphia, Cleveland, and

Minneapolis, respectively

Mr. Edmiston, Assistant Vice President of

the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Mr. Rice, Manager of the Research and Sta

tistical Department at the Federal Re

serve Bank of Dallas

Mr. Morrill stated that advices of the election for the period

of one year commencing March 1, 1943, of members and alternate members

of the Federal Open Market Committee representing the Federal Reserve

Banks had been received, that each newly elected member and alternate

member had executed the required oath of office (with the exception of

Mr. Day, who, because of illness, was not in attendance at this meeting

but to whom the oath of office had been sent for execution),

and that it

was the opinion of the Committee's Counsel on the basis of the advices

received that the following members and alternate members were legally

qualified to serve:

W. W. Paddock, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of

Boston, with Hugh Leach, President of the Federal Reserve Bank

of Richmond, as alternate member;

Allan Sproul, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of

New York, with L. R. Rounds, First Vice President of the Fed

eral Reserve Bank of New York, as alternate member;

M. J. Fleming, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of

Cleveland, with C. S. Young, President of the Federal Reserve

Bank of Chicago, as alternate member;

W. S. McLarin, Jr., President of the Federal Reserve Bank

of Atlanta, with Chester C. Davis, President of the Federal

Reserve Bank of St. Louis, as alternate member; and

William A. Day, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of

San Francisco, with J. N. Peyton, President of the Federal Re

serve Bank of Minneapolis, as alternate member.

Upon motions duly made and seconded, and

by unanimous vote, the following officers of

the Federal Open Market Committee were re

elected to serve until the election of their

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successors at the first meeting of the Commit

tee after March 1, 1944:

Marriner S. Eccles, Chairman

Allan Sproul, Vice Chairman

S. R. Carpenter, Assistant Secretary

E. A. Goldenweiser, Economist

Walter Wyatt, General Counsel

J. P. Dreibelbis, Assistant General

Counsel

Chairman Eccles referred to the approval given at the last meet

ing of the Federal Open Market Committee to the suggestion that the Re

serve Bank members of the Committee arrange to have the economists from

their respective Banks attend future meetings of the Committee with the

understanding that they would be called upon from time to time at the

meetings to discuss business and credit conditions.

He said that the

further suggestion had been made that all of these economists be elected

as Associate Economists of the Committee.

This suggestion was agreed to and, upon

motion duly made and seconded, it was voted

unanimously to elect as Associate Economists of

the Federal Open Market Committee to serve until

meeting of the Committee after March 1,

the first

1944, the five economists from the Federal Re

serve Banks of Boston, New York, Cleveland, At

lanta, and San Francisco who would be designated

by the respective Reserve Bank members of the

Committee for that purpose.

In accordance with this action, the follow

ing designations were made:

John H. Williams, by Mr. Sproul

K. H. MacKenzie, by Mr. Fleming

Malcolm H. Bryan, by Mr. McLarin

Mr. Paddock stated that at a later date he would

designate an economist from the Federal Reserve

Bank of Boston, and it was understood that Mr.

Clerk would advise Mr. Day of the Committee's

action so that a designation could be made by

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-4him of an economist from the Federal Reserve

Bank of San Francisco.

Upon motion duly made and seconded, and by

unanimous vote, the Federal Reserve Bank of New

York was selected to execute transactions for

the System open market account until the ad

journment of the first

meeting of the Committee

after March 1, 1944.

Mr. Sproul stated that the board of directors of the Federal

Reserve Bank of New York had selected Mr. Rouse as manager of the System

open market account, subject to the selection of the Federal Reserve

Bank of New York by the Federal Open Market Committee as the Bank to ex

ecute transactions for the System open market account and to his approval

by the Federal Open Market Committee.

Upon motion duly made and seconded, and

by unanimous vote, the selection of Mr. Rouse

as manager of the System open market account

was approved.

Upon motion duly made and seconded, and

by unanimous vote, the following were selected

to serve with the Chairman of the Federal Open

Market Committee (who, under the provisions of

the bylaws, is also chairman of the executive

committee) as members and alternate members of

the executive committee until the selection of

their successors at the first meeting of the

Federal Open Market Committee after March 1,

1944:

Members

Ronald Ransom

R. M. Evans

Allan Sproul

W. W. Paddock

Alternate Members

John K. McKee

M, S. Szymczak

Ernest G. Draper

(To serve in the order

named as alternates for

Messrs. Eccles, Ransom,

and Evans)

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Members (Cont'd)

Alternate Members

M. J. Fleming

W .S. McLarin, Jr.

(To serve in the order

named as alternates for

Messrs. Sproul and Paddock)

Upon motion duly made and seconded, and

by unanimous vote, the minutes of the meeting

of the Federal Open Market Committee held on

January 25-26, 1943, were approved.

Upon motion duly made and seconded, and

by unanimous vote, the actions of the execu

tive committee of the Federal Open Market

Committee as set forth in the minutes of the

meeting of the executive committee held on

January 25-26, 1943, were approved, ratified,

and confirmed.

At this point, Mr. Davis,

an alternate member of the Committee,

joined the meeting.

Mr. Rouse submitted a report prepared at the Federal Reserve

Bank of New York of open market operations conducted for the System

account during the period from January 26 to February 24, 1943, both

inclusive, and supplemental reports covering transactions during the

period from February 25 to March 1, 1943, both inclusive.

He reviewed

the important parts of the principal report, and referred particularly

to the changes that had taken place in the account during the period

from January 24 to and including March 1, 1943.

Copies of Mr. Rouse's

reoorts have been placed in the files of the Federal Open Market Commit

tee.

In connection with the table on page 6 of the principal report

showing the distribution of accepted tenders on Treasury bill offerings,

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Mr. McKee suggested that consideration might be given to the desirability

of selling bills from the System portfolio to meet tax situations such as

occur in the Chicago and Minneapolis Districts, rather than to permit

buyers in the affected areas to bid in the market and disturb the normal

distribution of bills.

Following a discussion of this suggestion, Mr.

McKee expressed the opinion again that the option on the part of the

seller to repurchase Treasury bills sold to the Federal Reserve Banks

should be limited to 15 days,

which would avoid immobilizing the bills

in the hands of the Federal Reserve Banks in

running for the life of the bills.

recognition of the option

There was a discussion of reasons

why a 15-day option might not be effective in accomplishing this result.

Upon motion duly made and seconded, and

by unanimous vote, the transactions in the

System account during the period from January

25 to March 1, 1943, inclusive, were approved,

ratified, and confirmed.

Mr. Goldenweiser,

as chairman of the committee appointed in ac

cordance with the action taken at the meeting of the Federal Open Market

Committee on January 26,

1943, to make a study of the significant aspects

of the relationship of the Government security dealers to the Government

security market,

distributed copies of the preliminary report of the com

mittee and stated that because of the time limitation the report was

hastily prepared and that, while it

made certain recommendations,

them involved radical changes in the present procedure.

It was understood that

be placed on the agenda for

next meeting of the Federal

mittee, that the members of

the report would

discussion at the

Open Market Com

the Committee

none of

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-7would study it in the meantime, and that the

special committee might continue its studies

and, if found desirable, submit a revised re

port.

Reference was made to the direction issued by the Federal Open

Market Committee on September 28, 1942, with respect to the purchase of

Treasury bills by the Federal Reserve Banks, and Mr. McKee suggested

that the new Open Market Committee renew the direction.

Thereupon, upon motion duly made and

seconded, the following direction was ap

proved by unanimous vote, with the under

standing that resales of Treasury bills

held under option would be for immediate

delivery when so requested by the option

holder:

Until otherwise directed by the Federal Open Market Com

mittee, the 12 Federal Reserve Banks are directed to purchase

all Treasury bills that may be offered to such Banks on a dis

count basis at the rate of 3/8 per cent per annum, any such

purchases, if desired by the seller, to be upon the condition

that the Federal Reserve Bank, upon the request of the seller

before the maturity of the bills, will sell to him Treasury

bills of like amount and maturity at the same rate of dis

All bills purchased outright are to be purchased for

count.

All bills purchased under

the System open market account.

option to repurchase are to be held by the purchasing Federal

Reserve Bank in its own account and prompt reports of all such

ourchases are to be made to the manager of the System open

market account.

In accordance with the suggestion pre

viously made by Mr. McKee, it was again un

derstood that the executive committee would

undertake to arrange with the Treasury for an

amendment to the terms under which the vari

ous issues of Government securities are of

fered so as to permit full allotment to the

System of securities, issued to refund matur

ing direct obligations, to the extent that

replacement of such securities held in the

System account appeared to the executive com

mittee to be desirable.

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On this action, Mr. Sproul voted "no"

for the reasons stated by him at the meeting

of the Committee on January 26, 1943.

The question of the limitations to be placed on the authority

of the executive committee to execute transactions in

ket account was considered in

the System open mar

the light of discussions at an informal

meeting yesterday of the Presidents of the Federal Reserve Banks and the

Board of Governors with respect to the organization to be set up to handle

the forthcoming April financing drive and the program for, and the types

of securities to be offered during, the drive.

the bill

now pending before Congress,

It

was suggested that

which would remove the requirement

that reserves be maintained against war loan deposits and reduce re

quired reserves by a substantial amount, might not be approved before the

April drive, and that in

that event the System might be called upon to

purchase very substantial amounts of securities before and during the

drive for the purpose of supplying reserves.

There was agreement that,

in view of the unprecedented size of the April financing and the decline

in member bank reserves,

the limitation on the authority of the execu

tive committee (1) to increase or decrease the amount of securities in

the System account,

and (2)

to purchase short-term certificates for the

te oorary accommodation of the Treasury, should be increased from

$1,000,000,000 to $1,500,000,000.

Thereupon, upon motion duly made and

seconded, the following direction was ap

proved by unanimous vote:

That the executive committee be directed, until otherwise

directed by the Federal Open Market Committee, to arrange for

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such transactions for the System open market account, either

in the open market or directly with the Treasury (including

purchases, sales, exchanges, replacement of maturing securities,

and letting maturities run off without replacement), as may be

necessary in the practical administration of the account, or

for the purpose of maintaining about the present general level

of prices and yields of Government securities, or for the pur

pose of maintaining an adequate supply of funds in the market;

provided that the aggregate amount of securities held in the

account at the close of this date (other than special short

term certificates of indebtedness purchased from time to time

for the temporary accommodation of the Treasury and Treasury

bills purchased pursuant to the directions of the Federal Open

Market Committee issued under dates of September 28, 1942, and

March 2, 1943) shall not be increased or decreased by more than

$1,500,000,000.

That the executive committee be further directed, until

otherwise directed by the Federal Open Market Committee, to

arrange for the purchase for the System open market account di

rect from the Treasury of such amounts of special short-term

certificates of indebtedness as may be necessary from time to

time for the temporary accommodation of the Treasury; provided

that the amount of such certificates held in the account at any

one time shall not exceed $1,500,000,000.

Chairman Eccles stated that the members of the executive commit

tee of the Federal Open Market Committee were to meet with the Secretary

of the Treasury this afternoon to discuss the issues to be offered in the

April financing and that, in view of the announcement by the Treasury

that tne minimum goal of the April drive would be $13,000,000,000, he

(Chairman Eccles) would like to suggest to the Treasury that the 7/8 per

cent certificate be eliminated from the list

of securities offered during

the drive, with the understanding (1) that a 2 per cent bond would be of

fered to banks at the beginning of the drive, (2) that at the end of the

drive a certificate would be offered to refund the issue of certificates

maturing on May 1 and to raise whatever additional funds might be desired

as a part of the April drive, and (3)

that the subscriptions for the

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certificates be allotted in

full up to $100,000 and the balance on a

percentage basis regardless of the source of the subscription.

The

reason for this suggestion, Chairman Eccles said, was that, as long

as the present policy of maintaining a pattern of rates was continued,

holders of certificates could realize a profit by selling the shorter

term certificates and purchasing new issues as they were offered, and

in his opinion there was no justification in

these circumstances for

offering certificates to the public in unlimited quantities.

In this

connection, he referred to the successful experience in Canada of sell

ing bonds to the public rather than short-term securities, and he felt

that the same policy should be adopted in

the United States and that,

if the April drive included a 2-1/2 and a 2 per cent bond, the Series

E, F, and G war savings bonds, and the tax note, the investment needs

of the public could be adequately met without offering during the drive

a certificate which would mature within a year and which would add to

the refunding problems of the Treasury in a period when the total offer

ings of securities were being substantially increased.

During Chairman Eccles'

statement, Mr. Kennedy, Assistant Chief

of the Government Securities Section,

of the Board of Governors,

Division of Research and Statistics

joined the meeting.

Mr. Sproul stated that the suggestion might be made to the

Treasury that a 1-1/4 per cent note be offered during the drive in lieu

of the 7/8 per cent certificate,

Mr. Piser pointed out that, if

certificates were to be offered

at the end of the drive on an allotment basis for delivery on May 1, the

offering would have to be announced several days before that date.

In a

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discussion of this point, the suggestion was made that the issue of cer

tificates maturing on May 1 might be paid off and a new issue announced

at the end of the April drive with payment on the subscriptions in May.

All of these possibilities were discussed, and there was tenta

tive agreement that a program along the lines suggested by Messrs. Eccles

and Sproul should be proposed by the members of the executive committee

when they meet with the Treasury this afternoon.

The meeting then recessed and reconvened at 4:30 p.m. with the

same attendance as at the beginning of the morning session except that

Messrs. Dreibelbis, Rice, and Berntson were not present.

Mr. Sproul made a statement substantially as follows:

At the meeting of the Treasury today Under Secretary of

the Treasury Bell, after reviewing the estimated need for funds

over the next few months, stated that it was the present plan

to raise $13,000,000,000 in the April financing drive, exclusive

of savings bonds in the amount of 800,000,000, tax notes in

the amount of $600,000,000, and Treasury bills in the amount

of $800,000,000, or a total during the financing period of

$15,200,000,000.

There was a discussion of the question of the amount of

excess reserves that should be maintained during the financing

period, and Mr. Bell mentioned $2,500,000,000. Chairman Eccles

stated as the view of the members of the Board and the Presidents

that it would be undesirable to fix any figure of excess reserves

to be maintained during the financing or for the System to make

any commitment in that connection. He discussed the use of Treas

ury bills as excess reserves and the difficulty, as indicated by

the experience during the December drive, of attempting to force

any volume of excess reserves into the market as long as the

present bill program continued.

With respect to the types of securities to be offered dur

ing the present drive, Chairman Eccles stated the reasons pre

viously discussed by us why it was believed certificate issues

should not be used to raise nonbank funds but should be used to

obtain funds from banks between drives. It was also stated that

it was the feeling of the Federal Reserve representatives that

the securities offered during the drive should be a 2-1/2 and

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a 2 per cent bond and possibly a 1-1/4 per cent note.

If because

of the shortness of time for organization of the selling drive,

and the large amount of funds to be raised, it was not possible

to carry out this kind of a program in connection with the April

drive, it should certainly be the policy in future drives not to

offer certificates in unlimited amounts to the public.

In connection with the timing of the offering, it was sug

gested by the Federal Reserve representatives that the 2 per cent

bond be offered at the beginning of the drive to banks and to

others throughout the drive together with the 2-1/2 per cent bond

the lowest denomination of which would be $100, and that these

issues and the 1-1/4 per cent note, savings bonds, Series C tax

notes, and $200,000,000 of new money each week from bills would

provide all of the funds that would be needed, except that at the

end of the drive a certificate might be offered for the purpose

of obtaining such additional amount of funds as might be necessary

to make the drive fully successful.

Mr. Bell discussed the use of certificates in the last war and

suggested that consideration be given to the possibility of adopt

ing a similar procedure in connection with future financing. We

again took the position that the sale of certificates to banks be

tween drives and their refunding with the proceeds of bonds sold

during drives, as in the last war, might be a way of meeting our

suggestion that certificates should only be offered to banks be

tween drives and that longer-term securities should be offered to

investors other than banks during the drives.

Chairman Eccles said that when the Secretary of the Treasury

joined the conference there was a further discussion of the amount of

funds to be raised curing the April drive and that it

was stated that the

members of the Board and the Presidents felt that $15,000,000,000 was too

high a figure, that $14,000,000,000

was the maximum that should be set as

a goal, end that some felt that $12,000,000,000 or $13,000,000,000 was all

that should be asked for, with the understanding that there would be some

bank financing between drives.

The Secretary, Chairman Eccles said, did

not disagree with this position and requested that the members of the

executive committee return to the Treasury on Tuesday, March 9, at 11:00

a.m. for a further discussion of the whole program.

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Thereupon the meeting adjourned.

Secretary.

Approved: