FOMC Minutes

Meeting of Federal Open Market Committee

March 18, 1975

MINUTES OF ACTIONS

A meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee was held

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

System in Washington, D.C.,

on Tuesday, March 18,

1975,

at

9:30 a.m.

PRESENT:

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Burns, Chairman

Hayes, Vice Chairman

Baughman

Bucher

Coldwell

Eastburn

Holland

MacLaury

Mayo

Mitchell

Sheehan

Wallich

Messrs. Balles, Black, Francis, and Winn,

Alternate Members of the Federal Open

Market Committee

Messrs. Clay, Kimbrel, and Morris,

Presidents of the Federal Reserve

Banks of Kansas City, Atlanta, and

Boston, respectively

Mr. Broida, Secretary

Mr. Altmann, Deputy Secretary

Mr. Bernard, Assistant Secretary

Mr. O'Connell, General Counsel

Mr. Partee, Senior Economist

Mr. Axilrod, Economist (Domestic Finance)

Mr. Gramley, Economist (Domestic Business)

Mr. Solomon, Economist (International Finance)

Messrs. Boehne, Bryant, Chase, Davis, Green,

Kareken, Pierce, Reynolds, and Scheld,

Associate Economists

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Mr. Holmes, Manager, System Open Market Account

Mr. Sternlight, Deputy Manager for Domestic

Operations

Mr. Pardee, Deputy Manager for Foreign

Operations

Mr. Coyne, Assistant to the Board of

Governors

Mr. Keir, Adviser, Division of Research and

Statistics, Board of Governors

Mrs. Farar, Economist, Division of Research and

Statistics, Board of Governors

Mrs. Ferrell, Open Market Secretariat

Assistant, Board of Governors

Messrs. Eisenmenger, Parthemos, Jordan, and

Doll, Senior Vice Presidents, Federal

Reserve Banks of Boston, Richmond, St.

Louis, and Kansas City, respectively

Messrs. Hocter and Brandt, Vice Presidents,

Federal Reserve Banks of Cleveland and

Atlanta

Mr. Keran, Director of Research, Federal

Reserve Bank of San Francisco

Mr. Sandberg, Assistant Vice President,

Federal Reserve Bank of New York

The Secretary reported that advices had been received of

the election by the Federal Reserve Banks of members and alternate

members of the Federal Open Market Committee for the term of one

year beginning March 1,

1975; that it appeared that such persons

were legally qualified to serve; and that they had executed their

oaths of office.

The elected members and alternates were as follows:

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David P. Eastburn, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of

Philadelphia, with Robert P. Black, President of the

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, as alternate;

Alfred Hayes, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of

New York, with Richard A. Debs, First Vice President

of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as alternate;

Robert P. Mayo, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of

Chicago, with Willis J. Winn, President of the Federal

Reserve Bank of Cleveland, as alternate;

Ernest T. Baughman, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of

Dallas, with Darryl R. Francis, President of the Federal

Reserve Bank of St. Louis, as alternate;

Bruce K. MacLaury, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of

Minneapolis, with John J. Balles, President of the Federal

Reserve Bank of San Francisco, as alternate.

By unanimous vote, the following officers of the Federal

Open Market Committee were elected to serve until the election of

their successors at the first meeting of the Committee after

February 29, 1976, with the understanding that in the event of

the discontinuance of their official connection with the Board

of Governors or with a Federal Reserve Bank, as the case might be,

they would cease to have any official connection with the Federal

Open Market Committee:

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Arthur F. Burns

Alfred Hayes

Arthur L. Broida

Murray Altmann

Normand R. V. Bernard

Thomas J. O'Connell

Edward G. Guy

John Nicoll

J. Charles Partee

Stephen H. Axilrod

Lyle E. Gramley

Robert Solomon

Chairman

Vice Chairman

Secretary

Deputy Secretary

Assistant Secretary

General Counsel

Deputy General Counsel

Assistant General Counsel

Senior Economist

Economist (Domestic Finance)

Economist (Domestic Business)

Economist (International Finance)

Edward G. Boehne, Ralph C. Bryant,

Samuel B. Chase, Jr., Richard G.

Davis, Ralph T. Green, John

Kareken, James L. Pierce,

John E. Reynolds, and

Karl O. Scheld

Associate Economists

By unanimous vote, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York

was selected to execute transactions for the System Open Market

Account until the adjournment of the first meeting of the Federal

Open Market Committee after February 29, 1976.

By unanimous vote, the action by Committee members on

March 10, 1975, increasing from $1 billion to $2 billion the dollar

limit specified in paragraph 2 of Authorization for Domestic Open

Market Operations on System holdings of short-term certificates of

indebtedness purchased directly from the Treasury, was ratified.

With Mr. Holland dissenting, the Committee voted to maintain the

dollar limit specified in paragraph 2 of Authorization for Domestic

Open Market Operations at $2 billion for a period of one year from

the date of this meeting, unless in the interim the Committee

should decide otherwise.

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By unanimous vote, the minutes of actions taken at the

meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee held on February

19, 1975, were approved.

By unanimous vote, the System open market transactions in

foreign currencies during the period February 19 through March

17, 1975, were approved, ratified, and confirmed.

By unanimous vote, renewal for further periods of 3

months of System drawings on the National Bank of Belgium

maturing on April 17 and 24, 1975, was authorized.

By unanimous vote, the System open market transactions

in Government securities, agency obligations, and bankers'

acceptances during the period February 19 through March 17, 1975,

were approved, ratified, and confirmed.

With Messrs. Bucher, Eastburn, and Sheehan dissenting, the

Federal Reserve Bank of New York was authorized and directed, until

otherwise directed by the Committee, to execute transactions for

the System Account in accordance with the following domestic policy

directive:

The information reviewed at this meeting suggests that

real output of goods and services is continuing to fall

sharply in the current quarter. In February industrial

production and employment declined substantially further.

The unemployment rate was unchanged, at 8.2 per cent, as

the civilian labor force declined sharply. Average whole

sale prices of industrial commodities rose moderately again

in February, and prices of farm and food products declined

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sharply further. The advance in average wage rates,

although large, remained well below the increases of

last spring and summer.

The foreign exchange value of the dollar declined

in February, but it strengthened somewhat in early

March, as short-term interest rates abroad fell further

and as market attitudes toward the dollar improved some

what. In January the U.S. foreign trade deficit was

only moderately above the rate in the fourth quarter

of 1974 despite a large bulge in recorded imports of

oil. Net outflows of capital reported by banks

continued large as foreigners withdrew deposits.

The narrowly defined money stock, which had declined

sharply in January, expanded considerably in February,

and broader measures of the money stock grew at substantial

rates. Net inflows of consumer-type time and savings

deposits were particularly large. Large-denomination

CD's outstanding contracted in February and total bank

credit showed little net change. Business demands for

short-term credit remained weak, both at banks and in

the commercial paper market, while demands in the long

term market continued exceptionally strong. Since mid

February short-term market interest rates have declined

a little while longer-term yields have risen. Federal

Reserve discount rates were reduced from 6-3/4 to

6-1/4 per cent in early March.

In light of the foregoing developments, it is the

policy of the Federal Open Market Committee to foster

financial conditions conducive to stimulating economic

recovery, while resisting inflationary pressures and

working toward equilibrium in the country's balance of

payments.

To implement this policy, while taking account

of developments in domestic and international financial

markets, the Committee seeks to achieve bank reserve

and money market conditions consistent with more rapid

growth in monetary aggregates over the months ahead

than has occurred in recent months.

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With Mr. Coldwell dissenting, the Committee voted to amend

subsection 271.5(a) of the Rules Regarding Availability of Information

as indicated below,

effective March 24,

1975:

SECTION 271.5 - DEFERMENT OF AVAILABILITY OF

CERTAIN INFORMATION

(a) Deferred availability of information.

instances,

-

In some

certain types of information of the Committee are not

published in

the Federal Register or made available for public

inspection or copying until after such period of time as the Com

mittee may determine to be reasonably necessary to avoid the effects

described in paragraph (b) of this section or as may otherwise be

necessary to prevent impairment of the effective discharge of the

Committee's statutory responsibilities.

For example, the Committee's

domestic policy directive adopted at each meeting of the Committee is

published in the Federal Register approximately 45 days after the

date of its adoption; and no information in the records of the Committee

relating to the adoption of any such directive is made available for

public inspection or coyping before it is published in the Federal

Register or is otherwise released to the public by the Committee.

By unanimous vote, the Committee reaffirmed its intention

that the memoranda of discussion prepared for individual Committee

meetings are not to be made available to the public until after the

Committee has authorized their transfer to the National Archives.

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Consideration was then given to the continuing authorizations

of the Committee, in accordance with the customary practice of review

ing such matters at the first meeting in March of every year.

Secretary's note: On February 28, 1975, certain con

tinuing authorizations of the Committee, listed below,

had been distributed by the Secretary with the advice

that, in accordance with procedures approved by the

Committee, they were being called to the Committee's

attention before the March organization meeting to

give members an opportunity to raise any questions

they had concerning them. Members were asked to so

indicate if they wished to have any of the authori

zations in question placed on the agenda for conside

ration at this meeting, and no such requests were

received.

The authorizations in question were as follows:

1.

Procedures for allocation of securities in the

System Open Market Account.

2. List of Treasury Department officials to whom

weekly reports on open market operations may be sent.

3. Authority for the Chairman to appoint a Federal

Reserve Bank as agent to operate the System Account

in case the New York Bank is unable to function.

4. Resolutions providing for continued operation of

the Committee and for certain actions by the

Reserve Banks during an emergency.

5. Resolution relating to examinations of the System

Open Market Account.

6. Regulation relating to Open Market Operations of

Federal Reserve Banks.

Rules of Organization, Rules Regarding Availability of

7.

Information,1/ and Rules of Procedure.

By unanimous vote,

the Committee reaffirmed its intention

that the memoranda of discussion prepared for individual Committee

meetings are not to be made available to the public until after the

Committee has authorized their transfer to the National Archives.

1/ As recorded above, an amendment to Section 271.5(a) of the

Rules Regarding Availability of Information was made at this meeting.

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By unanimous vote, the Authorization for Domestic Open

Market Operations shown below was reaffirmed:

AUTHORIZATION FOR DOMESTIC OPEN MARKET OPERATIONS

1.

The Federal Open Market Committee authorizes and directs the

Federal Reserve Bank of New York, to the extent necessary to

carry out the most recent domestic policy directive adopted at

a meeting of the Committee:

(a) To buy or sell U.S. Government securities, including

securities of the Federal Financing Bank, and securities that

are direct obligations of, or fully guaranteed as to principal

and interest by, any agency of the United States in the open

market, from or to securities dealers and foreign and inter

national accounts maintained at the Federal Reserve Bank of

New York, on a cash, regular, or deferred delivery basis, for

the System Open Market Account at market prices and, for such

Account, to exchange maturing U.S. Government and Federal agency

securities with the Treasury or the individual agencies or to

allow them to mature without replacement; provided that the

aggregate amount of U.S. Government and Federal agency securities

held in such Account (including forward commitments) at the close

of business on the day of a meeting of the Committee at which

action is taken with respect to a domestic policy directive shall

not be increased or decreased by more than $3.0 billion during the

period commencing with the opening of business on the day follow

ing such meeting and ending with the close of business on the day

of the next such meeting;

(b) To buy or sell in the open market, from or to acceptance

dealers and foreign accounts maintained at the Federal Reserve

Bank of New York, on a cash, regular, or deferred delivery basis,

for the account of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York at

market discount rates, prime bankers' acceptances with maturi

ties of up to nine months at the time of acceptance that (1)

arise out of the current shipment of goods between countries or

within the United States, or (2) arise out of the storage with

in the United States of goods under contract of sale or expected

to move into the channels of trade within a reasonable time and

that are secured throughout their life by a warehouse receipt or

similar document conveying title to the underlying goods; pro

vided that the aggregate amount of bankers' acceptances held

at any one time shall not exceed $1 billion;

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(c) To buy U.S. Government securities, obligations that are

direct obligations of, or fully guaranteed as to principal and

interest by, any agency of the United States, and prime bankers'

acceptances of the types authorized for purchase under 1(b) above,

from nonbank dealers for the account of the Federal Reserve Bank

of New York under agreements for repurchase of such securities,

obligations, or acceptances in 15 calendar days or less, at rates

that, unless otherwise expressly authorized by the Committee,

shall be determined by competitive bidding, after applying

reasonable limitations on the volume of agreements with individ

ual dealers; provided that in the event Government securities

or agency issues covered by any such agreement are not repur

chased by the dealer pursuant to the agreement or a renewal

thereof, they shall be sold in the market or transferred to the

System Open Market Account; and provided further that in the

event bankers' acceptances covered by any such agreement are

not repurchased by the seller, they shall continue to be held

by the Federal Reserve Bank or shall be sold in the open market.

2.

The Federal Open Market Committee authorizes and directs the

Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or under special circumstances,

such as when the New York Reserve Bank is closed, any other

Federal Reserve Bank, to purchase directly from the Treasury for

its own account (with discretion, in cases where it seems desi

rable, to issue participations to one or more Federal Reserve

Banks) 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

rate charged on such certificates shall be a rate 1/4 of 1

per cent below the discount rate of the Federal Reserve Bank

of New York at the time of such purchases, and provided further

that the total amount of such certificates held at any one time

by the Federal Reserve Banks shall not exceed $2 billion.

3.

In order to insure the effective conduct of open market opera

tions, the Federal Open Market Committee authorizes and directs

the Federal Reserve Banks to lend U.S. Government securities

held in the System Open Market Account to Government securities

dealers and to banks participating in Government securities

clearing arrangements conducted through a Federal Reserve Bank,

under such instructions as the Committee may specify from time

to time.

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-11By unanimous vote, the Authorization for Foreign Currency

Operations shown below was reaffirmed:

AUTHORIZATION FOR FOREIGN CURRENCY OPERATIONS

1. The Federal Open Market Committee authorizes and directs

the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, for System Open Market

Account, to the extent necessary to carry out the Committee's

foreign currency directive and express authorizations by the

Committee pursuant thereto:

A. To purchase and sell the following foreign

currencies in the form of cable transfers through spot or

forward transactions on the open market at home and abroad,

including transactions with the U.S. Stabilization Fund

established by Section 10 of the Gold Reserve Act of 1934,

with foreign monetary authorities, and with the Bank for

International Settlements:

Austrian schillings

Belgian francs

Canadian dollars

Danish kroner

Pounds sterling

French francs

German marks

Italian lire

Japanese yen

Mexican pesos

Netherlands guilders

Norwegian kroner

Swedish kronor

Swiss francs

B. To hold foreign currencies listed in paragraph A

above, up to the following limits:

(1) Currencies purchased spot, including curren

cies purchased from the Stabilization Fund, and sold forward

to the Stabilization Fund, up to $1 billion equivalent;

(2) Currencies purchased spot or forward, up to the

amounts necessary to fulfill other forward commitments;

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(3) Additional currencies purchased spot or forward,

up to the amount necessary for System operations to exert a

market influence but not exceeding $250 million equivalent; and

(4) Sterling purchased on a covered or guaranteed

basis in terms of the dollar, under agreement with the Bank of

England, up to $200 million equivalent.

C. To have outstanding forward commitments undertaken

under paragraph A above to deliver foreign currencies, up to the

following limits:

(1) Commitments to deliver foreign currencies to

the Stabilization Fund, up to the limit specified in paragraph

1B(1) above; and

(2) Other forward commitments to deliver foreign

currencies, up to $550 million equivalent.

D. To draw foreign currencies and to permit foreign

banks to draw dollars under the reciprocal currency arrange

ments listed in paragraph 2 below, provided that drawings by

either party to any such arrangement shall be fully liquidated

within 12 months after any amount outstanding at that time was

first drawn, unless the Committee, because of exceptional

circumstances, specifically authorizes a delay.

2. The Federal Open Market Committee directs the Federal

Reserve Bank of New York to maintain reciprocal currency

arrangements ("swap" arrangements) for System Open Market

Account for periods up to a maximum of 12 months with the

following foreign banks, which are among those designated

by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System under

Section 214.5 of Regulation N, Relations with Foreign Banks

and Bankers, and with the approval of the Committee to renew

such arrangements on maturity:

Foreign bank

Austrian National Bank

National Bank of Belgium

Bank of Canada

Amount of

arrangement

(millions of

dollars equivalent)

250

1,000

2,000

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Foreign bank

Amount of

arrangement

(millions of

dollars equivalent)

National Bank of Denmark

Bank of England

Bank of France

German Federal Bank

Bank of Italy

Bank of Japan

Bank of Mexico

Netherlands Bank

Bank of Norway

Bank of Sweden

Swiss National Bank

Bank for International Settlements:

Dollars against Swiss francs

Dollars against authorized

European currencies other

than Swiss francs

250

3,000

2,000

2,000

3,000

2,000

180

500

250

300

1,400

600

1,250

3. Currencies to be used for liquidation of System swap com

mitments may be purchased from the foreign central bank drawn

on, at the same exchange rate as that employed in the drawing

to be liquidated. Apart from any such purchases at the rate

of the drawing, all transactions in foreign currencies under

taken under paragraph 1(A) above shall, unless otherwise

expressly authorized by the Committee, be at prevailing

market rates and no attempt shall be made to establish rates

that appear to be out of line with underlying market forces.

4. It shall be the practice to arrange with foreign central

banks for the coordination of foreign currency transactions.

In making operating arrangements with foreign central banks

on System holdings of foreign currencies, the Federal Reserve

Bank of New York shall not commit itself to maintain any specific

balance, unless authorized by the Federal Open Market Committee.

Any agreements or understandings concerning the administration

of the accounts maintained by the Federal Reserve Bank of New

York with the foreign banks designated by the Board of Governors

under Section 214.5 of Regulation N shall be referred for

review and approval to the Committee.

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5. Foreign currency holdings shall be invested insofar as

practicable, considering needs for minimum working balances.

Such investments shall be in accordance with Section 14(e)

of the Federal Reserve Act.

6. The Subcommittee named in Section 272.4(c) of the

Committee's rules of procedure is authorized to act on behalf

of the Committee when it is necessary to enable the Federal

Reserve Bank of New York to engage in foreign currency

operations before the Committee can be consulted. All actions

taken by the Subcommittee under this paragraph shall be re

ported promptly to the Committee.

7.

The Chairman (and in his absence the Vice Chairman of

the Committee, and in the absence of both, the Vice Chairman

of the Board of Governors) is authorized:

A. With the approval of the Committee, to enter into

any needed agreement or understanding with the Secretary of

the Treasury about the division of responsibility for

foreign currency operations between the System and the

Secretary;

B. To keep the Secretary of the Treasury fully

advised concerning System foreign currency operations, and

to consult with the Secretary on such policy matters as may

relate to the Secretary's responsibilities; and

C. From time to time, to transmit appropriate reports

and information to the National Advisory Council on Inter

national Monetary and Financial Policies.

8. Staff officers of the Committee are authorized to

transmit pertinent information on System foreign currency

operations to appropriate officials of the Treasury Department.

9. All Federal Reserve Banks shall participate in the foreign

currency operations for System Account in accordance with

paragraph 3G(1) of the Board of Governors' Statement of

Procedure with Respect to Foreign Relationships of Federal

Reserve Banks dated January 1, 1944.

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By unanimous vote, the Foreign Currency Directive shown

below was reaffirmed:

FOREIGN CURRENCY DIRECTIVE

1. The basic purposes of System operations in foreign

currencies are:

A. To help safeguard the value of the dollar in inter

national exchange markets;

B. To aid in making the system of international payments

more efficient;

C. To further monetary cooperation with central banks

of other countries having convertible currencies, with the

International Monetary Fund, and with other international

payments institutions;

D. To help insure that market movements in exchange

rates, within the limits stated in the International Monetary

Fund Agreement or established by central bank practices, re

flect the interaction of underlying economic forces and thus

serve as efficient guides to current financial decisions,

private and public; and

E. To facilitate growth in international liquidity in

accordance with the needs of an expanding world economy.

2. Unless otherwise expressly authorized by the Federal Open

Market Committee, System operations in foreign currencies shall

be undertaken only when necessary:

A. To cushion or moderate fluctuations in the flows of

international payments, if such fluctuations (1) are deemed

to reflect transitional market unsettlement or other tempo

rary forces and therefore are expected to be reversed in the

foreseeable future; and (2) are deemed to be disequilibrating

or otherwise to have potentially destabilizing effects on

U.S. or foreign official reserves or on exchange markets, for

example, by occasioning market anxieties, undesirable specu

lative activity, or excessive leads and lags in international

payments;

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B. To temper and smooth out abrupt changes in spot

exchange rates, and to moderate forward premiums and discounts

judged to be disequilibrating. Whenever supply or demand

persists in influencing exchange rates in one direction,

System transactions should be modified or curtailed unless

upon review and reassessment of the situation the Committee

directs otherwise;

C. To aid in avoiding disorderly conditions in exchange

markets. Special factors that might make for exchange mar

ket instabilities include (1) responses to short-run increases

in international political tension, (2) differences in phasing

of international economic activity that give rise to unusually

large interest rate differentials between major markets, and

(3) market rumors of a character likely to stimulate specula

tive transactions. Whenever exchange market instability

threatens to produce disorderly conditions, System transactions

may be undertaken if the Manager reaches a judgment that they

may help to reestablish supply and demand balance at a level

more consistent with the prevailing flow of underlying pay

ments. In such cases, the Manager shall consult as soon as

practicable with the Committee or, in an emergency, with the

members of the Subcommittee designated for that purpose in

paragraph 6 of the Authorization for Foreign Currency Operations;

and

D. To adjust System balances within the limits established

in the Authorization for Foreign Currency Operations in light

of probable future needs for currencies.

3. System drawings under the swap arrangements are appropriate

when necessary to obtain foreign currencies for the purposes

stated in paragraph 2 above.

4. Unless otherwise expressly authorized by the Committee,

transactions in forward exchange, either outright or in con

junction with spot transactions, may be undertaken only (i)

to prevent forward premiums or discounts from giving rise to

disequilibrating movements of short-term funds; (ii) to

minimize speculative disturbances; (iii) to supplement exist

ing market supplies of forward cover, directly or indirectly

as a means of encouraging the retention or accumulation of

dollar holdings by private foreign holders; (iv) to allow

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greater flexibility in covering System or Treasury

commitments, including commitments under swap arrange

ments, and to facilitate operations of the Stabilization

Fund; (v) to facilitate the use of one currency for the

settlement of System or Treasury commitments denominated

in other currencies; and (vi) to provide cover for System

holdings of foreign currencies.

It was agreed that the next meeting of the Committee

would be held on Monday and Tuesday, April 14 and 15, 1975,

beginning at 4:00 p.m. on Monday.

The meeting adjourned.

Secretary