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ANNUAL REPORT "

1956

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK Sof ft Q.^0 f^j^A

RESERVE
OF CLEVELAND
C L E V E L A N D I, O H I O

February 1, 1957

To the Banks in the
Fourth Federal Reserve District:

In the Fourth Federal Reserve District, business and employment
have continued to expand, and wealth has flowed into the area. To
illustrate the vitality of this district and the advantages observed by
businessmen in locating or expanding their industries within its borders,
this report includes a special supplement on recent industrial expansion.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland is proud to be joined with
the banks of this district in furnishing adequate and modern financial
facilities to meet the expanded requirements of individuals, business,
and agriculture.
During the year 1956 the words "tight money" were used by more
people than at any time in recent history. The financial and business
communities generally recognize that the tightness was brought about,
not by the decision of those charged with responsibilities relating to
monetary policy, but by large demands for credit by industries and individuals for myriad purposes concentrated within a short period of
time.
It is with pleasure that we present
Reserve Bank of Cleveland for 1956 and
ourselves derelict if we did not express
bankers and businessmen of the District
sel which assisted us in discharging our

Chairman of the Board

this report of the Federal
its supplement. We would feel
our sincere appreciation to the
for their cooperation and counresponsibilities.

President

R E T I R E M E N T OF MR. V I R D E N
AS CHAIRMAN

Mr. John G. Virden, as of December 31, 1956, closed six
years of service as member of the Board of Directors of this bank,
during four years of which he was Chairman of the Board.
His Career
Mr. Virden has accepted the presidency of the Eaton Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, following a distinguished
career of business and public service, including the presidency,
and later the chairmanship, of the John C. Virden Company
of Cleveland. He has held numerous posts of active responsibility
with important agencies of the Federal Government. Currently,
he is a member of the Business Advisory Council of the U. S.
Department of Commerce, and also a member of the Advisory
Committee of the Export-Import Bank. He holds numerous
directorships in nationally known manufacturing concerns.

John C. Virden

His Service to the Cleveland Community
Mr. Virden was formerly president, and is presently a trustee of the Cleveland
Development Foundation, a non-profit corporation in which civic-minded leaders
of business, commerce and industry have invested substantial funds for the clearance of
slums and for other aspects of urban redevelopment. Among other activities in behalf
of civic and community welfare, Mr. Virden has served as president of the Board of
Trustees of University Hospitals, Cleveland.
His Service to the Federal Reserve System
Mr. Virden's contribution to the work of the Federal Reserve went beyond his
many services to this District as Chairman, and before that as Deputy Chairman, of
the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. For example, as
stated by a resolution of the Conference of Chairmen of the Federal Reserve Banks:
"Mr. Virden's wise leadership and active interest... in the activities of the Conference
of Chairmen, and in the broad problems confronting the Federal Reserve have impressed
the members of this Conference notably as contributions to the System's efforts to
promote the well-being of the economy. We recall especially the distinguished service
he performed as Chairman of this Conference during the year 1955."

o

KEEPING ON THE COURSE IN '56

4

LOCATION OF MEMBER BANKS

. 1 0

THE YEAR IN FOURTH DISTRICT BANKING

. . . 11

HOW AND WHY MEMBER BANKS
BORROW FROM THE FEDERAL RESERVE

. . . 14

VOLUME OF SERVICE OPERATIONS
IMPROVEMENTS IN RESERVE BANK PREMISES

16
.

. 18

STATEMENT OF CONDITION

20

EARNINGS AND EXPENSES

21

DIRECTORS

22

OFFICERS

23

BRANCH DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

24

K E E P I N G ON THE C O U R S E IN '56

N THE COURSE of time the various economic twists and turns, as well as the
straightaways, which characterized
the past year will fall into a clearly defined
pattern. To the contemporary observer,
however, the complex of economic developments during 1956 provided no welldefined sense of direction.
It was generally anticipated, after the
long and undeviating forward movement
of 1955, that some disconcerting irregularities might be encountered during the
succeeding lap. Indeed, a number of important industries now look back upon
last year's experiences as being typical of
an obstacle course.
The first to come to mind is the automobile industry. This one-time mainstay
of the entire field was one of the earliest to
show fatigue in the race toward a still
bigger and better year. It had been handicapped at the very outset by the weight of

I

unsold dealer stocks. The burden was
lightened only gradually by means of curtailing production schedules which in turn
caused a shrinkage of purchasing power in
some important industrial centers. The
flagging tendencies betrayed by the passenger-car industry also took some of the
bounce out of the rubber tire industry and
affected a number of other lines closely
allied with motor vehicle production.
Another industry which encountered
difficulties was the steel industry. Although
it finally came up with a tonnage barely a
step short of the preceding year's all-time
high, this second-best performance was
accomplished only because of an extraordinary spurt over the home stretch.
Opinion was far from unanimous in evaluating the over-all performance. On the one
hand it was argued that the industry had
"lost" some ten million tons at the turn
last summer through a prolonged work

stoppage. The opposing argument was
that if the industry had maintained its
breath-taking pace into the fall season, it
would have stumbled over excessive inventories in fabricators' hands in the closing
months of 1956.
A third group which found the going

indisposition of the housing industry was
secondarily reflected in the lumber trade.
As the summer season advanced, the sawmills no longer were buzzing so confidently as a year earlier.
Other industries which ran into twists
and turns included such lines as furniture,

PERCENT OF
LABOR FORCE EMPLOYED'

AREA OF MANPOWER AND MATERIAL SHORTAGES

.... the economy operated at
practical capacity throughout
virtually all of 1956. Manpower
and material shortages prevailed
in a number of basic industries.
These shortages exerted a strong
upward pressure on the general
price level.

1954

1955

1956

1957

•Not adjusted for seasonal variation,

somewhat more circuitous than the 1955
course was the residential construction industry. The number of new foundations
laid was some 15 percent short of the volume attained during the preceding year.
The size of the typical new home started
was somewhat larger, but the margin was
not sufficient to keep the same number of
building tradesmen at work. The slight

appliances, television sets, and other
products indirectly affected by the rate of
new home construction. In the agricultural
machinery industry, forward progress was
interrupted by the barrier of excessive
stocks and buyer resistance. Finally, during
parts of 1956, the textile industry was being clocked at a slower rate of production.
In this case the difficulty can hardly be

ascribed to external circumstances, but
rather to the mild case of exhaustion which
seems to overtake the industry at roughly
two-year intervals.
Notwithstanding the winding trails pursued by a number of industries, including
several headliners, the statistical tape at
the finish line showed that the economy as
a whole had established a new record. The
physical volume of production had exceeded the 1955 figure by 3 percent. And
the dollar value of all goods and services
produced was 5 percent greater than in the
preceding year.
The credit for this achievement, of
course, goes to the industries which were
blessed with a straightaway course. They
may be grouped under the general heading
of plant and equipment builders and suppliers, including not only a vast segment
of the construction industry but also virtually every kind of industrial machinery
producer. Perhaps never before had the
business picture been so thoroughly influenced by the stimulus of a privately
financed expansion in productive facilities.
The vigor of this movement, in the face of
the backtracking of some key industries,
necessitated continuous review and appraisal of monetary policy throughout the
year.
Because of the unrelenting pressure of
industrial expansion and construction activity, the economy operated at levels
approaching practical capacity during
nearly all of 1956. Manpower and ma-

terial shortages were present or threatening
in many industries. And the existence of
these shortages exerted a strong upward
pressure on the wage and commodity
price level.
Credit and Credit Policy
Expansion on such a scale could not
have occurred without extensive use of
credit, including short-term as well as
long-term, and public as well as private,
credit. The demand for funds tended to
outrun the concurrent rate of savings by
individuals and corporations. The cash
flow from corporate depreciation reserves
was far from enough to finance the planned
expansion, and consumers did not withhold
enough funds out of current expenditures
to make up the difference, which could
have been—but was not—provided by an
inflation of bank credit. As a consequence,
competition between and among the various types of seekers of funds drove up the
cost of money.
It was not only money that rose in price
during 1956. The cost of nearly everything
that money can buy also went up last year.
It will be recalled that nonagricultural
prices had broken through their previous
(Korean War) record high during earlier
stages of the boom in 1955. That rise
continued without serious interruption
throughout 1956. Moreover, the index of
consumer prices, which had been plodding
along at a nonprovocative pace for many

months, suddenly became activated
around midyear and began to lunge forward as if in a belated effort to catch up
with the rest of the field. This was merely
a response to the upward thrust which had
long been evident in many other indices.
The movement of the cost of living into
unexplored high ground—with the threat
of further advances to come—generated
a wave of mixed emotions among spectators and participants alike. The participant
industries which had been plagued by
twists and turns, and which were engaged
in a futile attempt to match the previous
year's sales, were entitled to, and were unquestionably given, most thoughtful consideration in the formulation of monetary
policy. Yet ever in the foreground was the
spectacle of an economy working at capac-

ity and the specter of prices tugging away
at the anchor post of stability.
Under the circumstances, the situation
called for the highest degree of composure
among those responsible for the general
climate in the financial world. If attention
had been focused only upon the relative
distress of those industries which were
meeting sales resistance, and if credit
policy had been formulated solely to make
the race easier for them, the result inevitably would have been a noticeable expansion in the money supply. Such an expansion would have intensified the competition
among the front-runners for a definitely
limited supply of goods and services, and
would have left the less fortunate further
to the rear. On the other hand, there was
the constant risk that too rigorous a policy

,

...,;.

nonagricultural prices
broke through their previous
record (Korean War) high during 1955 and continued upward
almost without interruption
throughout 1956. After some
lag, the cost of living index also
moved into record-high ground
last year.

<J

might precipitate a sudden swerve of the
entire economy into an unfavorable
direction.
It was in the light of these facts and
conditions that the nation's privately held
money stocks were permitted to expand
by a modest amount, something on the

to one segment of the market but spanned
the entire range, from the shortest to the
longest maturities, and from the highest
grade of credit to the riskier types of new
ventures. It occurred not only in the market for individual and corporate needs,
but also in the municipal market where

MARKET YIELDS

5%

CORPORATE
BONDS (Aaa

/
'

1954

1955

STATE & LOCAL
GOVT BONDS Aaa)

1956

order of one percent. This was enough to
accommodate the record level of production, but not so much as to give overt support to inflationary tendencies. Any increment measurably in excess of that would
have injected additional elements of instability, particularly over the longer run.
The rise in the cost of money during
1956—because the supply was not allowed
to1 grow unrestrainedly—was not limited

1957

the cost of money rose almost uninterruptedly during
1956. The demand for both long
and short-term funds on the
part of business enterprises, state
and local governments, and
individuals, expanded to record
proportions. In the face of a
modest expansion in the credit
base of the banking system and
in savings, the rise in the cost of
money was the outcome of competition among the many seekers
of funds.

state and local governments were actively
seeking funds for public construction.
In the absence of any legal means of
encouraging the flow of credit into certain
channels, to the detriment of other users,
the allocation of funds was governed by
the wholly impersonal and unprejudiced
forces of the market place. Those potential
users of credit and capital who were
most sensitive to higher interest charges

were the most likely to trim their requirements to more modest proportions, or to
postpone some projects to a more propitious time. In the absence of this incentive
for some retrenchment, the aggregate demand for goods and services would have
wrought still greater upward pressure on
the price structure. Any savings in interest
costs through the establishment of artificially low money rates might have been
lost many times over in a further inflation
of construction costs.
Another result of the policy of permitting
the cost of money to respond to normal
market forces was the further utilization
of many relatively inactive reservoirs of
funds. Corporations and others were
motivated to invest temporarily idle bank
balances in short-term Government securities at attractive rates of return. Many

of the short-term securities thus purchased
came out of the portfolios of commercial
banks, which in turn used the proceeds to
meet the continuing demand for business
loans.
During most of the past year, monetary
policy was formulated largely in the light
of domestic economic developments. The
relatively well-loaned-up position of banks,
together with the changes in the international scene which emerged in the closing months of 1956, may present a new
and different set of problems. Sufficient
unto the year, however, are the complexities thereof.
On the whole, 1956 was a most fruitful
year, despite some disappointments and
frustrations. The new challenges which
will emerge during 1957 may be faced with
confidence.

VJHJI 11

L O C A T I O N OF M E M B E R B A N K S
Fourth Federal Reserve District

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TOTAL DEPOSITS
AS OF JUNE 30, 1956

••>., •••

y-\j
•

S100 MILLION AND OVER

•

$50 TO $100 MILLION

«

95 TO $50 MILLION

.

S5 MILLION OR LESS

X^.>-V
V ,. '-,

\ x

T H E Y E A R IN F O U R T H D I S T R I C T B A N K I N G

'HOUGH the expansion of bank
credit in the Fourth Federal
Reserve District, as well as in the
nation, was under restraint during 1956,
Fourth District member banks increased

A

tures for new plant and equipment,
although financed mainly through security
issues in the capital market, markedly
affected business demands for bank credit.
Bank loans to business increased, as firms

the total of their loans and investments by
about 3 percent, a somewhat smaller gain
than in the previous year. They managed

borrowed in advance of actual security
flotations.

to meet a substantial share of the demand
for loans by increasing loan volume by
about 15 percent and reducing holdings
of U. S. Government securities by about
10 percent.

banks in the Fourth District indicate that
nearly every type of business shared in the
increased volume of business loans. Man-

Weekly reports from a sample of large

ufacturers of metals and metal products set
the pace with a $120-million addition to
their outstanding bank debt between

Demand for Bank Credit

January 1 and December 5, the latest date
for which reports were available at press

After the usual lull early in the year,
business loans began a vigorous expansion
that led to an increase in outstandings of
nearly 20 percent during the year. The
unprecedented expansion in expendi-

time.
In 1955, consumer and all other loans,
largely loans to individuals, had risen more
than 20 percent at Fourth District weekly
reporting member banks. It is noteworthy
that such loans at Fourth District weekly
member reporting banks continued to increase during 1956, rising an additional
10 percent.

Unlike business loans, real estate loans
lost some of the spark of recent years,
though they continued to rise during 1956.
Increased costs and a larger average size
of housing units partly overcame the decline in number insofar as the demand for
real estate credit was concerned. Real
estate loans at Fourth District weekly
reporting member banks rose $76 million
in 1956 in contrast to a $118 million increase in 1955.

Meeting the Demand

When banks have substantial free reserves, i.e., excess reserves less borrowings
from the Reserve Banks, they actively
seek new business. This free-reserve situation prevailed in 1954 and to a steadily
decreasing extent in 1955. On the other
hand, when bank borrowings are greater
than excess reserves, commercial bankers
are generally more conservative in their
lending and investing operations. That is
the position Fourth District member banks
found themselves in during most of 1956.
For that reason, loan expansion depended heavily upon commercial banks'
willingness and ability to reduce investments and cash reserves. For the year as a
whole, the decline in holdings of U. S.
Government securities at Fourth District
member banks amounted to more than
half of the rfee in loans. To some extent,
especially for short periods of adjustment,
Fourth District member banks also reduced

their vault cash and balances with other
banks.
Effects

on Deposits and Earnings

Notwithstanding the tighter reserve
position and the limited capacity to increase loans and investments, demand deposits at Fourth District member banks
increased slightly during 1956. Moreover,
holders of demand deposits made more intensive use of existing balances. Demand
deposits, excluding bank and U. S. Government deposits, at banks in 28 reporting
centers in the Fourth District were turned
over at an annual rate of 23.2 in 1956 in
contrast to 21.3 in 1955. Time deposits at
Fourth District member banks increased
3 percent during 1956.
Bank earnings were influenced both by
the large demands for loans and by the

LOANS AND INVESTMENTS
Fourth District Member Banks

portfolio shift from securities to loans. The
lag in the supply of loanable funds resulted
in an upward movement in the rate structure. For example, prime loans to toprated corporations were 4 percent at the
year end, the highest level since 1933. Also,
loans typically earn higher rates than
securities. Thus, both the increased volume
of loans and the relatively larger share of
assets in loans contributed to an increase
in operating earnings during 1956. However, the shift had a two-edged effect on
earnings, as losses were sustained on sales
of securities in a market where yields were
rising and prices falling.
In addition, commercial banks, like
business firms, were affected by rising
costs, primarily salaries, and by a continuation of large tax payments. Nevertheless, early estimates indicate that net profits, after taxes, earned by Fourth District
member banks for the year 1956 will aggregate 10 to 15 percent larger in dollar volume than in the previous year.

CONSUMER AND
ALL OTHER LOANS
-.SING
CITIES '

TYPES OF LOANS
Fourth District, Weekly Reporting Member Banks

At the end of 1955, there were 999 insured commercial banks with 567 branches
operating in the Fourth District. By the
end of 1956, the number of banks had declined to 984 and the number of branches
had increased to 666.

Banking Structure

A marked change in the banking structure since the end of the war has been an
increase in the number of banking offices,
with the number of banks declining
through consolidation and merger and the
number of branches increasing, largely
through new additions. Although the merger movement has abated somewhat, 1956
was not an exception to the postwar trend.

TIME DEPOSITS

DEPOSITS
Fourth District Member Banks

HOW AND WHY M E M B E R BANKS

1

BACKGROUND

OF THE BORROWING

An individual member bank may borrow
on a short-term basis from a Federal Reserve bank in order to meet a situation
where its legal reserves, which must be
held against deposits, are temporarily inadequate because of an outflow of funds.
Such borrowing represents a supplementary form of credit. The Federal Reserve
Bank of Cleveland, like the other Federal
Reserve banks, has continued to "keep the
discount window open", subject to the
necessary safeguards; chief among these is
the understanding that member banks
shall anticipate the normal requirements of
agriculture, commerce and industry and
meet these needs from the member bank's
own resources before seeking Federal Reserve credit.
Steps in Borrowing
1. Request is made to the senior officer
in charge of the loan and discount function
at the Federal Reserve Bank. (In many
cases it is done by telephone call.)
2. A note is executed by authorized
officers of the applicant member bank.
3. Consideration is given to the application by the bank's Discount Committee.
4. If the loan is approved, securities
serving as collateral for the loan are deposited at the Federal Reserve Bank, or, as
is more frequently the case, securities already in safekeeping custody of the Reserve bank, for the account of the member
bank, are designated as collateral for the
loan.
5. Finally, the proceeds are credited to
the member bank's reserve account, after
deduction of interest charges.

THE PACE OF BORROWING
Under conditions where private and
public demands for credit have poured in
upon the member banks, and where the
general availability of legal reserves has
been kept under a planned restraint
through open-market operations of the
Federal Reserve System, it is understandable that member banks are likely to resort
to the borrowing privilege with somewhat
increased frequency. Throughout much of
the year 1956, such was the case, as may
be seen from the accompanying chart
which depicts member bank borrowing in
the Fourth Federal Reserve District.
During April, August and September,
member bank borrowing was especially
large, but even in those months it did not
quite reach the temporary high of early
1953 (not shown on the chart). For the
entire year, member bank borrowing
averaged appreciably larger than during
the immediately preceding year.
Larger banks typically make use of the
borrowing privilege more frequently than
do the smaller banks. That is because the
larger banks, located in the "reserve
cities," are accustomed to pressing harder
for a "fully invested" position, i.e. one
in which maximum lending or investing is maintained on the basis of a given
legal reserve. The correspondent relations
established by the larger banks may also
be a factor in their borrowing. The smaller
banks, however, ordinarily borrow for a
somewhat longer period of days, when they
do borrow.
(The reserve cities of the Fourth District
are Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati,
Columbus and Toledo. Banks in all other
parts of the District are designated as
"country banks.")

BORROW FROM THE FEDERAL RESERVE

3

DURING 1956

AVERAGE DAILY BORROWINGS
BY MONTHS

.... member-bank borrowings fluctuated sharply during 1956.
Average daily borrowings in the Fourth District are shown here for
each month, along with the discount rate charged by this bank. The
rate was raised from 2'/i% to 2%% in April, and to 3% in August.

Most
RESERVE CITY
banks do
borrow

Most
COUNTRY
banks do
not borrow

468 HH ,
OF TOTAL
DID NOT

(based on 11 months' data)

1956

SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE BORROWING

Viewed from the standpoint of the banking system as a whole, the fluctuations in
the extent of member-bank borrowing
serve as a gauge of the degree of pressure
which is being exerted on bank reserves at
any one time. In turn, such pressures on
the collective reserve position of the banking community are the result of general
credit and business conditions, taken in the
context of whatever policy of credit easing
or credit restraint is being followed by the
monetary authorities.
So far as the Federal Reserve is concerned, changes in the established discount
rate constitute one, but only one, of the
important instruments used to influence
the availability of loanable funds. Openmarket operations have an immediate and
direct effect on the aggregate volume of
bank reserves, and hence the credit base
of the economy. Thus, shifts in open-market policy are interlocked with possible
changes in the discount rate in the effectuation of over-all System policies.
The increases in the discount rate which
took place during 1956, as had been the
case with the more numerous increases
during 1955, served one or more of the
following purposes: (1) inducement of
more conservative member-bank lending
policies during a period of marked inflationary pressures; (2) signalizing of the
Federal Reserve System's over-all appraisal of the current money-market and
general credit situation; (3) restoration of
the discount rate to a more appropriate
position in relation to the interest rate
currently prevailing in the money market.
15

o

VOLUME OF SERVICE OPERATIONS

The steady stream of services which this
bank performs for the banking and business community continued in even larger
volume during the year 1956.
As shown by the accompanying charts,
most of the basic operations in the collection of checks, in the provision of coin and
currency, and in fiscal agency operations,
involved larger work loads in 1956 than in
1955.
The number of checks handled at the three
offices, for example, registered a 6 percent
gain over the record volume of the previous year. It is noteworthy that each of
the postwar years, without exception, has
seen a rise in the load of check clearance;
furthermore, during each of the years since
1950, the annual increase has been at a
rate quite close to 6 percent.
Post office money orders represent one
type of instrument the use of which has
declined somewhat in recent years. The
25 million of such items handled by this
bank during 1956 amounted to 3 percent
fewer than the number handled in the
previous year. The number of government
checks, however, increased by 3 percent.

(Government checks, as well as post office
money orders, are included in the total
shown on the chart.)
Nearly $100 million in coin was paid out
to banks during the year, for use in meeting
the demands of the public. That figure
represents a 7 percent gain over the
amount paid out in the previous year,
which in turn had posted an 18 percent
gain over the slightly reduced volume paid
out in 1954. The trend toward the use of
wrapped coin continued during the year.
More than $2 billion in currency payments
were made by this bank during 1956. Such
a volume, however, represented an increase of only 1 }/<i percent from the large
total of the previous year.
Sales of marketable Treasury issues, handled by this bank as fiscal agent of the
United States, showed a shift in pattern
from the previous year. The volume of
Treasury bills was up sharply, while issues
of longer maturities, as well as the grand
total, posted decreases.
Thus, the sales of Treasury bills handled
by this bank amounted to nearly $3J/2
billion during 1956, for a 20 percent in-

OUT
1948

three offices combined

crease over the 1955 volume. November
and May were months of especially large
bill issues; in no month, however, did the
volume drop below $220 million. The
volume of certificates and notes, although
large during December and the summer
months, as well as in March, was substantially below the total for 1955. No
bond issues were handled during the year.
Sales of nonmarketable savings bonds
handled for the United States Treasury by
the three offices totaled close to 14 million
pieces, which represented a 3 percent rise
from the previous year.

01 r-0! LA;-?S
:

CURRENCY PAID OUT
1948

'54

'56

:

i.o

i.r,.

2.0

BILLIONS OF DOLLARS

TREASURY ISSUES HANDLED

NUMBER OF CHECKS HANDLED

FISCAL AGENCY OPERATIONS

1948

BONDS;

'56
100

200
MILLIONS OF ITEMS

300

IMPROVEMENTS IN RESERVE B A N K

Although the operating efficiency of this
bank depends primarily upon the skills of
its trained staff, the physical facilities available to that staff are no small factor in the
institution's capacity to serve the financial
and business community. In recent years,
substantial progress has been made in
modernizing the bank's buildings and
equipment. Construction of expanded and

Extension of the Pittsburgh Branch building under
construction as of December 1956

18

improved facilities at Pittsburgh is under
way. The modernization program at the
Main Office has been effected and that at
the Cincinnati Branch has been substantially completed.
Pittsburgh Branch
The Pittsburgh Branch, with its 479
staff members, is one of the largest in the
Federal Reserve System. It serves business,
industry and agriculture in 19 western
counties of Pennsylvania and six counties
of the West Virginia panhandle. For many
years the facilities in the existing branch
building have been inadequate and the
branch has had to rent additional quarters
in other buildings.
In September 1955, ground was broken
for the construction of additional facilities
which will add 79,000 square feet to the
49,000 square feet in the present building.
Completion of the project is scheduled for
the autumn of 1957. The addition will be
in the form of a rectangular ten-story
building adjoining the present structure,
and also a six-story extension over the rear

system, to facilitate operation on alternating current, and to provide sufficient
capacity for the operation of air conditioning throughout the building; (3) installation of modern air conditioning for the
entire building, with a maximum capacity
of 1,200 tons of refrigeration and flexibility
for partial operation when needed for
night and holiday shifts.

PREMISES

section of the present building. The present
building is being remodeled so that the
completed project will result in an integrated structure.
The main banking room on the first
floor of the present building is being substantially altered. There will be three new
passenger elevators, one freight elevator
and one coin elevator, all automatically
operated; the present set of elevators is
being modernized. A new coin vault is
being constructed. The entire structure
will be air conditioned.
Main Office
A comprehensive program of major improvements at the Main Office building
at Cleveland was undertaken in 1955 and
completed in 1956. Three phases were
included: (1) conversion of the power
plant at the bank to make possible the
purchase from a local public utility of all
electricity and all steam except high pressure steam; (2) modernization of the electrical distribution system to correct the
previously unbalanced and overloaded

Cincinnati Branch
The current modernization program for
the Cincinnati Branch building is entering
its final stages. The entire building was air
conditioned in 1954. Installation of an
improved security court was completed in
1956 and installation of new elevators was
started.
The new security court provides ample
loading space and a complete system of
up-to-date devices for the safety of shipments into or out of the bank. Loading
or unloading of several vehicles at the
same time now makes it possible to avoid
delays in dispatching shipments to trains
and other destinations.
In order to promote a high level of
operating efficiency, the elevators at the
Cincinnati Branch are being replaced by
a new set of automatic elevators of the
most modern design.
The Cincinnati Branch, in addition to
serving 25 counties of southwestern Ohio,
provides central banking facilities for 56
counties of eastern Kentucky.

C O M P A R A T I V E STATEMENT O F C O N D I T I O N
December 31, 1956 December 30, 1955

\S
\d

Cer

Redemption Fund for Federal Reserve Notes
TOTAL GOLD CERTIFICATE RESERVES

77,869,350
2,012,667,828

78,193,284
1,780,563,728

Federal Reserve Notes of Other Banks
Other Cash
TOTAL CASH

19,697,070
21,211,456
2,053,576,354

17,923,050
27,269,610
1,825,756,388

3,525,000

616,000

Discounts and Advances
U. S. Government Securities:
Bills
Certificates
Notes
Bonds
TOTAL U. S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES
TOTAL LOANS AND SECURITIES
Uncollected Cash Items
Bank Premises
Other Assets
TOTAL ASSETS

148,878,000
129,146,000
945,602,000
508,843,000
791,749,000 1,217,461,000
242,332,000
240,791,000
2,128,561,000
2,096,241,000
2,132,086,000 2,096,857,000
540,172,184
653,563,169
7,805,250
5,905,373
21,491,011
13,552,762
$4,755,130,799 $4,595^634,692

LIABILITIES
Federal Reserve Notes

$2,592,653,310 $2,492,709,245

Deposits:
Member Bank—Reserve Accounts
U. S. Treasurer-General Account
Foreign
Other Deposits
TOTAL DEPOSITS
Deferred Availability Cash Items
Other Liabilities
TOTAL LIABILITIES
C A P1TAL

20

1,470,223,397
31,313,072
26,936,000
10,970,646
1,539,443,115
513,240,182
1,454,292
4,646,790,899

1,492,811,500
26,036,179
35,126,000
12,883,559
1,566,857,238
432,140,750
1,184,439
4,492,891,672

ACCOUNTS

Capital Paid In..'
Surplus (Section 7)
Surplus (Section 13b)
Other Capital Accounts
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND CAPITAL ACCOUNTS

31,046,150
29,295,950
66,392,961
62,563,178
1,005,665
1,005,665
9.895,124
9,878,227
$4,755,130,799 $4,595,634,692

Contingent Liability on Acceptances Purchased for Foreign Correspondents

$

4,531,800 $

3,048,500

Industrial Loan Commitments

$

121,111 $

321,632

COMPARISON OF EARNINGS AND EXPENSES
1956

1955

A

A.

\ 51,157,205

Total Current Earnings.
Net Expenses
CURRENT NET EARNINGS
Additions To Current Net Earnings:
Profit on Sales of U. S. Government Securities (Net)
AllOther
TOTAL ADDITIONS

It

$

Deductions From Current Net Earnings:
Loss on Sales of U. S. Government Securities (Net)
Reserves for Contingencies
All Other
TOTAL DEDUCTIONS
Net Deductions
Net Earnings Before Payments to U. S. Treasury
Paid U. S. Treasury (Interest on F. R. Notes)
Dividends
Transferred to Surplus (Section 7)

11,043,778
40,113,427

H

24,350
5,925
30,275

—0—
16,316
16,316

__o—

74
20,806
1,381
22,261

16,896
21,889
38,785

$

35,055,198
9,953,355
25,101,843

8,510
40,104,917
34,468,380
1,806,754
3,829,783

5,945
25,095,898

]f

21,070,509
1,684,251
2,341,138

21

1
BRANCH DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

DIRECTORS 1957

ANTHONY HASWELL (Chairman)
President, The Dayton Malleable Iron Company, Dayton, Ohio
ROGER DRACKETT, President
The Drackett Company
Cincinnati, Ohio

IVAN JETT
Farmer
Georgetown, Kentucky

BERNARD H. GEYER, President
The Second National Bank of Hamilton
Hamilton, Ohio

FRANKLIN A. MCCRACKEN
Executive Vice President and Trust Officer
The Newport National Bank
Newport, Kentucky

W. BAY IRVINE, President
Marietta College
Marietta, Ohio

WILLIAM A. MITCHELL, President
The Central Trust Company
Cincinnati, Ohio
OFFICERS

RICHARD G. JOHNSON
PHIL J. GEERS
JOHN BIERMANN, JR .
GEORGE W. HURST.

. Assistant Cashier
. Assistant Cashier

Vice President
Cashier
WALTER H. MACDONALD

Assistant Cashier

DIRECTORS 1957

JOHN C. WARNER (Chairman)
President, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
FRANK C. IRVINE, President
First National Bank in Tarentum
Tarentum, Pennsylvania

BEN MOREELL, Chairman of the Board
Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

JOHN H. LUCAS, Chairman of the Board
Peoples First National Bank & Trust Company
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

SUMNER E. NICHOLS, President
Security-Peoples Trust Company
Erie, Pennsylvania

DOUGLAS M. MOORHEAD
Farmer
North East, Pennsylvania

IRVING W. WILSON, President
Aluminum Company of America
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
OFFICERS

JOHN W. KOSSIN
ARTHUR G. FOSTER
W. HUNTER NOLTE
JOHN R. PRICE

Assistant Cashier
Assistant Cashier

Vice President
Cashier
JOHN A. SCHMIDT
ROY J. STEINBRINK

Assistant Cashier
Assistant Cashier