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f98
FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD
WASHINGTON
X-3785
July
StJBJECT;
~0,
1923.
Check Collection - Procedure under Regula.tion J,
Series of 1923-
Dear Sir:
As you have oeen advised previously the Federal Reserve
Board has amended Regulation J. effective August 15, 1923, by adding
the following new conditions;
"No Federal Reserve Bank shall receive on deposit or
for collection any cheek drawn on any no~ember bank which
refuses to remit at par in acceptable funds.
11 Whenever a Federal Res.erve Bank receives on deposit
or for collection a cheek drawn by 1 indorsed ":Jy, or emanating
from, any nonmember bank which refuses to remit a.t par in
acceptable funds, it shall n:.ake a. charge for the service of
collecting such check of one-tenth of 1 per cent, the minimum
charge to be 10 cents for each i tern."
At the request of the B~rd, the Federal Reserve Barks'
Standing Committee on Collections was called, by the .Acting Chairn:a.n of
the Governors• Conference, to n:eet in Chicago on July 9, 1923, for the
purpose of considering the rrsthods and procedure in Federal Reserve
Banks necessary to put into practical effect and operation on August 15,
1923, the provisions of the recent azmndments to the Board 1 s Regulation
J. The Committee n:et, duly considered the suoject and submitted a
report, which was in part approved ":Jy the Federal Reserve l3oard, and
this circular is designed to give force and effect to such portions of
the report as the Board desires formally to adopt.
. There is attached hereto draft of a uniform circular, based
upon the amendments to Regulation J, which each Federal Reserve BaJ:lk
should iranediately issue a.s a supplement to its present check collection
c;ircular and which should be incorporated in its complete check collection circular whenever it becomes necessary to reissue it. There is
attached also a photostat copy of a uniform advice of service charge.
The successful administration of these two new conditions of
Regulation J depends very largely upon the observance and application
of certain principles and practices uniformly by all Federal Reserve
Banks. These essentials are as follows:
(1) The full and complete coopera.tion of. each Federal Reserve
Bank
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X-37S5
in carefully and consistently ap~9lying the cha.rge a.ga.inst member and
nonmember clearing banks on all checks received from them v.hich are dra.wn
by, indorsed by, or which emanate from any nonmember bank in the United
Sta.tes • v.hich will not remit at par in acceptable funds; a.nd in furnishing
other Federal Reserve Banks (through the medium of the Federal Reserve
:Board) with the na.mes of all such nonmember banks in its respective
district ,
(2) Inasmuch as a. charge on such checks will be made by a
Federal Reserve :Bank against rmmber and nonmember clearing banks from
which such checks a.re received, it is rea.sonable to expect that member
and nonmember cleal'ing banks will not route to the Federal Reserve Banks
any of such checks which can be disposed of through other collection
channels· It ma.y therefore be anticipated tha.t circuitous routing will
be practiced and that banks coming into possession of such checks will
route them, Whenever possible, to other correspondents, in which event
such of these checks as are finally sent to a. Federa.l Reserve Bank are
likely to bear the indorsements of severa.l banks (par as well as non-par)
in other districts. The charge on such checks should be made only and
reta.ined by the Federa.l Reserve Bank which f irat receives such checks
into the Federal Reserve collection sys tern, rega.rdless of where such
' checks originated or the loca.tion of prior indorsers. Therefore, it
will not be necessary for one Federal Reserve :Bank to examine checks
payable in its district when received from another Federal Reserve_Bank,
it being understood that the Federal Reserve :Bank which first rec~J.ves
the i terns applies the charge to those checks which are dra\Vl'l by, J.ndorsed
by, or which emanate from a.ny nonmember bankt merever loca.ted, which will
not remit a.t pa.r in acceptable funds.
(3) It will be essential for a. Federal P..eserve :Bank to exa.mine
all checks received from member and nonmember clea.ring banks to determine whether any of them were drawn by, indorsed by, or emanated from
nonmember non-par banks in other Federa.l Reserve districts as well as in
its own district, and therefore each Federal Reserve :Bank must be in
possession of a complete list of all nonmember banks in the United states
which will not remit at pa.r in acceptable funds for dlecks drawn on them.
Upon receipt of this letter each Federal Reserve l3a.nk will suomi t to the
:Board a list of those nonmember banks in its district by states whiCh refuse to remit at par in acceptable funds for checks drawn on them. Upon
receipt of this informa.tion from the Federal Reserve :BankS the Boa.rd will
make up a composite list covering all districts and send copies to each
Federal Reserve Bank for use only in the transit departments of the Federa.l
Reserve Banks. It is not thought a.dvisa.ble to publish a list of the names
of those nonmember banks which refuse to remit a.t pa.r nor for the Federal
Reserve Banks to furnish this informa.tion to their member banks· Member
Banks and clearing nonmember banks will be able to ·determine Vlbether or not
items drawn on other banks 3.re collectible at pa.r by consulting the :Board's
so-called 11 pa.r list" a.s it will be issued in the future. If i t is not
clearly indica. ted by the pa.r list tha.t a partic'Ular ba.nk will remit at par,
the member bank consulting the list will thereby be on notice that the
bank with Whose i tern i t is concerned refuses to remit at par· in a.cceptable
exchange and tl>.a.t the item is subject to a. collection charge if routed
through a Federal Reserve Bank.
f93
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X-37S5
600
In addition to sending to the Board a list of all banks in its
district which refuse to remit a.t par, the Federal Reserve Board requests
each Federal Reserve Bank to prepare a.nd send to it a. list of all banks
i~ its pistrict by states Which
are willing to remit at pa.r. It is desued that both lists rrentioned ne.rei.n oe !'repa.red and transmitted to the
Board prom,ptly on receipt of this letter, and not later than July 31 the
Federal Reserve Banks may wire to thE;l Boa.rd any corrections they ma.y have
to Il".ake in either of the lists. The Boa.rd will continue to issue monthly
supplements to the par list, based on information which the banks will
wire to it once a. month as in the past, stating additions and withdrawals.
{4) Each member and nonmember clearing bank may be required in
the discretion of its Federal Reserve Bank to list in a. separate or special
cash letter all such items sent by it to its Federal Reserve Bank, as are
drawn by, indorsed by, or emanate from any nonmember bank whiCh will not
remit at par in acceptable funds; and ma.y be required to indica.te on the
letter (by rubber stamp or otherwise) tha.t such checks are subject to a
charge. This arrangement would make it possible for the F'ederal Reserve
Banks to apply the charge to specific cash letters without dela.y and with
the possibility of differences reduced to a minimumr The Federal Reserve
Banks, nevertheless, a.re required to ·examine all checks received in oth~r
cash letters to see tha.t no checks drawn by, indorsed by, or emanating
from such nonmember non-par banks are included therein.
( 5) Ea.ch Feder~l Reserve Bank will be required to a.dvis e its
member and nonmember clearing banks daily the total Blt.Ount of the charge
.on each cash letter containing such items together with the da.te and the
total of the letter. This rule shall also a.pply to letters received by
Federal Reserve Banks direct from member and nonmember clearing banks in
other Federa~ Reserve districts. All Federal Reserve Eanks will be required to use the appended forms in a.dvising member and nonmember clea.ring
ba.nks of other Federal Reserve districts of the arr.ount of service char~es
on each cash letter containing such items received direct from them. One
of these forms may also be used by Federal Reserve Banks in advising their
own member and nonmember clearing banks of such service charges.. Ina.smu.ch
as such charges are for the service of handling such items, no such charge
should be returned or rebated in case any such item is not pa.id.
(6) If a Federal Reserve Ba.nk should receive a. check d.ra.wn on a.
nonmember bank which will not remit a.t par in acceptable funds, it will
use the following wording in stating the reason for returning such check!
"Not collectible through a Federal Reserve Bank under the
Fe gulations of the Federal Reserve Board."
The Board requires tba.t the above wording shall be used uniformly by all
Federal Reserve Banks.
(7) Official checks and drafts of the Federal Reserve Banks are
in payment of their own obligations or the obligations of the United
States Government in Fiscal Agency opera.tionsj checks and warrants drawn
on the Treasurer of the United States are likewise in discharge of obli.2:ations of the United States Government; the reserves of member banks .
-4must be
against
to whom
items.
X-37S5
deposited with the Federal Reserve Banks and "ll18¥ be checked
under the Act, and since they are at liberty to issue such cheekS
they choose 1 the charge should, of course, not apply to such
This matter is covered in the uniform circular attached.
The Board Will in due course transmit to the Governor of each
Federal ~serve Bank not represented upon the Standing Committee on
Collections, for his information, a copy of the tull report made by
the Commit tee.
By direction of the Federal Reserve Board.
Very truly yours,
w. w.
Hoxton,
Secretary.
(Enclosures)
TO GOVERNORS OF ALL F. R. BANKS
..
X-3785a.
UNIFORM CIRCULAR BASED
~"PO!'J
.A1v1ENDHENTS TO REGULATION J
COLLECTION OF C".tiECtS DRAWN BY I :h:~TDORSED BY
OR E!.IANATUW FI\OM NON-MEMBER BANKS Vi'II:C CR
WILL NOT REMIT .AT ~AR IN .i\.CCEPT. .IiliL'E: FUNDS.
(l) The Federa.l Reserve :Ooard' s. Regulation J, Series of 1923,
Section III, provides that:
''!No Federal Reserve bank shall ·receJ.ve on daposit or for
collection any cteck drawn on a. non-merr,ber. bank wnich refuses
to ~emit at par in acceptable f\mds.
''Whenever a. Fede:ra.l Reserve Bank receivei on deposit or
for collection a check drawn by, andorsed by or emanating from
any non-member bank whiqh refuses to remit at par in accepta.ble
t:unds, it shall make a ch2.rge, for the service of collecting
such check, of one-tenth of one per c0nt, the minimum cilo.rge
to ~e ten cents for e~ch item.••
(NOTE - The .following are· optioral· paragraphs (2),. tha.t is; one or the
other must be used by each Federal Reserve Bank according to Whether or
not such Federal Reserve :i3ank will require its merr:ber and non-rr:ember
clearing banks to ~ist such items in separate cash letters, provided in
"Fourth" paragraph of the .report.)
·
(If separa.te cash letters are not req,uired by a. certain Federal Reserva
Bank, that bank should use the following paragraph:)
(2) Pursuant to the foregoing regulation, the Federal Reserve
Bank of - - - - - - - will make a charge of. one-tenth of one per cent
for ·the service of collecting each of such checks, the minimum charge to
be ten cents for each item, and in order tra t this _cha.rge rr.a.y be applied
with the least possible confusion and delay and ·Ni thou.t occasion for
differences, it is_ suggested tha.t n:errl:>er and non-member clearing banlcs
send such checks to the Federal Reserve Bank listed in separate cash letters
and indicate on each such letter that such items included thersin are
"subject to charge .1l' In other respects such cash letters should be prepa.red
in the same ~nner as cash letters containing checks which a.re
.
""
X-37359:
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.
not subject to the charge.
Such servi-::e charges will be made against
the reserve accounts of rr.ember ba....":ks or against the clearing accounts
of· non-member clearing banks, and appropriate advice or advices of such
charges will be sent to me.nber and non-member clearing banks daily,
showing the total amount of the charge on each cash letter containing
such items together with the date and total of the letter.
Inasmuch as
such charges are for the service of handling such i terns, no such charge
will be returned. or rebated in case any such i tern is not paid.
(If separate cash letters are reg_uired ·oy a certain Federal Reserve Bank,
that bank sho'J.ld use the following parae,raph:.)
( 2) Pu:c::::uant to the forego inc; regula.tion, the Federal Reserve
Bank of - - - · - - - - - will make a charge of one-tenth of one per cent
for the service of collecting each of such checks, the minimum charge to
be ten cents for each item, and in order that this charge rr.ay be applied
with the least possible confusion and delay and wit:1out occasion for
differences, member and non-rr.ember clearing banks are required to send
such checks to the Federal Reserve Bank listed in separate cash letters
and to indicate on each such letter that such items incluied therein are
'• subject to charge.'' In other respects such cash letters should be prepared in the sa.me rr.anner as cash letters containing checks Nhich are not
subject to the cha.rge.
Such service charges will be made agair.st the reserve
accounts of rrember banks or against the clearing accounts of
clearing banks, and appropriate advice or 3.dvices of such
non-~mber
c~Dq?;es
will be
sent to roomber a...."1d non-m0mber clearing bank.:> daily, showing the total
amount of the charge on
ea~h
cash letter containing such items together
with the date and total cf the lettar.
Inasmuch as such cLarges are for
the service of handling such i terns , no such charge
~"Jill
be returned or
X-37S5a
-3rebated in ca.se any such item is not poiJ.
(3) Official checik:s and dra.fts of the Federal Reserve Eanks,
checks and warr&"'lts drawn upon the Treasurer of the United States, and
checks and dra.fts drawn by member bonks on the i:r respective :Federal Reserve Bo.nks are not s-ub,ject to such cl1.a.rge, even when such i terns a.re
endorsed by or eroonate from a non-member ba.nk which will not remit a.t
par in acceptable funds, a.nd
~onsequently
such checks a.nd drafts under
all circumstanceJ may be included in cash letters along with items not
subject to the service charge.
(4) Member bar>.ks and non-rrember clearing banks may rea.dily
determine 'Jiihether or not a particular item is subject to charge, if
routed tJ:-_rough a Federal Reserve Ba.nk, -oy consulting the Federal Reserve
Board's par list.
Wnen items drawn on all banks in any given tovv.n or
city are collectible a.t par, opposite the narre of such town in the par
list will appear the words
11
All Bank:stt.
W.nen there o.re several banks
·in any given toVvn,. one or more of wnich will not remit a.t par,
the name of the town in question will appear the words
11
opposi~e
All National
Banks 11 , if any, and thereunder the na.rra of each state institution, member
or non-member, Which will remit a.t pa.r in acceptable fu.x"ds.
Distribution
of the Federal Reserve par list will be made as in the pa.s t.
(NOTE - The following paragraph should be used by Federa.l Reserve banks which will require member and non-member clearing
banks to list such items in separa.te cash letters. H should
not be used by tl:~se Fode:r·a.l Reserve :Banks vvl:d;;h ·vill r..ot require that such items be listed i:ri separate ca3h letters)
(5) ·Member bom:s and non-member clea.rir..g banl:s must very carefully assOrt their items before sending tl:em to the Federal Reserve Bank
of
exercising care not to include any item, d.ra.wn by,
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X-3785s.
endorsed by or erna.nating from any non-member bank which will not remit
at par in accepta.ble funds , in any letter containing checks which are not
subject to the service charge of one-tenth of one per cent, since it
would be difficult and confusing for the Federal Reserve Bank upon ex•
amination of a.ll checks to apply the service charge against any such
checks which are included with checks not subject to the service cha.rge.
The Federal Reserve Bank of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _will examine all ca.sh
letters received from member and non-member clea.ring banks, a.nd if any
items subject to the service charge are included in regular cash letters
with items not subject to the service cha.rge, the Federal Reserve Bank
reserves the right to defer cred.i t for suc:n letter one business day
longer, in order that it may have time to make thorough examina.tion of
all endorsements on
all
items included in such letter a.nd sepa.ra.te and
properly apply the service cLarge to those items contained in such letter
which are drawn by, endorsed by, or which emanate from a.ny such non-member
non.-par bank.
@FedFRASER