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F E D E R A L R E S E R V E BANK O F R IC H M O N D CALDW ELL HARDY FEDERAL RESERVE A g e n t General Business and Agricultural Conditions in the Fifth Federal Reserve District for the Month of December, 1920 December witnessed further develojpineiits in the wide-spread efforts to liquidate funds tied up in stocks carried by jobbers and retailers, a movement begun early in the summer of 1920 and continued steadily since that time. Material reductions in stocks have been made by practically all retailers, and jobbers' stocks are reported as low. Manufacturers were inactive during December because of the hesitancy of retailers in placing advance orders ill the face of uncertain prices, and considerable unemployment developed. Some wage re ductions have been made, notably in the textile field. Construction work continues unimportant, particularly in residence bmlding. The department stores report larger sales during the holidays, but jewelers and dealers in some: other specialty lines report sales as fair only. There were fewer purchases for high priced goods re ported, though the number of sales made during the month compares favorably with the number made in December, 1919. But in spite of the hesitating attitude of business during December, the situation at the opening of 1921 is considered as improving by the great majority of correspondents from whom we secure data. Stocks on hand have contracted in value but reports indicate that by conservative purchasing and intelligent charging off of depreciation or losses, imost merchants have passed the, crisis and are safely preparing for future contin gencies. Employers and employees have in many cases consulted, and reached a basis upon which it is thought both can prosper.. Transportation facilities have gradually improved and service is now better than it has previously been since 1916. The farmers, who are harder hit than toy other industrial group in the Fifth District, are reported as co-operating in plans to aid in exporting their surplus products, and are preparing to make the next .crop more economically than the 1920 crop. Of course complaint is heard from scattered sources, but on the whol§ the District is cheerful and confident of emerging into a better period. 'COLLECTIONS.—Dun's Review reports 97 failures with liabilities of $1,872,700 in the Fifth District during December 1920, compared with 45 failures^ with liabilities of $581,176 in December 1919. The number of failures in December 1920 was nearly double the number reported during any other month of the year, the second highest being October with 58 reported, but the liabilities amounted to less than the figures reported for July 1920, when 39 firms failed for a total of $1,995,634. We give elsewhere in this publication a table show ing failures reported for the Fifth District from January through December, both 1919 and 1920, and an ex amination of this table shows that the first six months of 1919 witnessed approximately twice the combined liability of those which occurred during the last half of the year, but during 1920 the second half of the year was more than twice as disastrous to weak firms. From January to June, inclusive, 1919,184 firms failed with liabilities of $3,610,405, and from July to December, inclusive, 1919,171 firms failed with liabilities of $1,995,427. From January to June, inclusive, 1920* 203 firms failed with liabilities of $4,064,980, and from July to December, inclusive,'1920, 335 firms failed with liabilities of $9,035,343. The combined failures for 1919 totaled 355, with liabilities of $5,605,832, compared with 5^8 failures in 1920, with liabilities of $13,100,323. Evidently some larger firms failed in 1920 than in 1919, since the total liabilities for 1920 were 2.32 times the total liabilities for 1919, while the number of-failures during the year were only 1.52 times the number of fatalities reported in 19JL9. Keports received from thirty-six wholesale firms show collections to be fair on the whole. Of the thirty-six firms, ten report collections as good, thirteen as fair, ten as slow, and three as definitely poor. This is about the same proportion as the reports for November showed. We give herewith a table showing the answers re turned by the reporting firms, together with the lines represented, to which we have added the figures received for September, October and November for purposes of comparison: Lines Sold Groceries................. ............ ...................... Dry Goods................................................... Boots and Shoes.............. ........................... Hardware................................................. Furniture...................................................... December Total.................................. November Total................................. October Total................................... . September Total................................. Good 5 2 1 Fair i 1 4 4 2 1 3 10 10 13 13 10 14 11 15 Slow Poor 2 2 2 1 3 1 2 10 10 9 12 i Total 8 8 8 8 4 3 36 6 5 3 39 38 41 Confidential reports received from twenty-two large retail stores, chiefly large city department stores, show that their collections continue satisfactory. Sixteen of the reporting firms commented specifically upon collections and of these 10 wrote that they are excellent, good, or satisfactory, while 6 stated that they are fair. None reported any well defined slowness, though one store manager wrote that his collections were fair to slow. In the country districts, the situation is apparently unchanged from the conditions set forth last month in our review of November’s activities. The crop holding movement has retarded liquidation. During the year the manufacturers sold to their jobbers on time, who in turn passed the credit on to the local merchants. The merchants “ carried” or “ furnished” the farmers expecting to collect their bills between September and January, but the farmers upset the usual procedure by holding their crops, thus freezing the long chain of credit that runs back to the manufacturers and their banks. Preparations for another crop will soon be making demands upon credit, however, and the orderly marketing of the present crop should proceed, as liquidation of present credits cannot be postponed indefinitely. BANKING OPERATIONS.— Clearings reported for the month of December 1920 in thirteen cities in the Fifth District for which December 1919 figures are available for comparison show a decrease during the more recent month of 16.8%, the greatest decrease shown by any month of 1920 in comparison with the correspond ing month of 1919. Total clearings in the thirteen cities during December 1920 amounted to $815,055,034 compared with $980,461,977 cleared during December 1919, a decrease during December 1920 of $165,406,943. Nineteen-twenty opened with January clearings 23.4% more than clearings during January 1919, and the high water mark was reached during March 1920 when clearings were 35.3% greater than during the corresponding month of 1919. From this point forward, however, the per cent, of increase steadily declined until September 1920 saw the first decrease, 1.1% less having been cleared that month than during September 1919. The in crease or decrease reported each month during 1920, in comparison with the corresponding month of 1919, was as follows, all being increases except the last four, which are marked minus; January, 23.4%; February, 25.2%; March, 35.3%; April, 26.1%; May, 20.8%; June, 19.0%; July, 6.7%; August, 5.7%; September, - 1.1%; October, - 12.7%; November, - 11.2%; December, - 16.8%. Debits to individual account reported by the banks in seven of the chief clearing house centers of the Fifth District totaled $173,391,000 for the week ending January 12, 1921, compared with totals of $196,095,000 re ported from the same cities for the week ending January 14, 1920, the corresponding week last year, and $189,027.000 reported for the week ending December 8, 1920, one month previously. The week’s total this year shows a decrease of 11.6% from the corresponding week last year, and is 9.0% under the totals reported for the week ending December 8, 1920. We print elsewhere in this report a table showing the average weekly debits reported by seven cities for each month of 1919 and 1920, and careful examination of the table will show that during the first six months of the latter year business activity was something like 28% greater than during the first six months of 1919, the average debits reported each week being $188*354,000 from January through June, 1920, compared with $146,912.000 reported during the same months of 1919, but from July through December the same cities reported an average of $178,998,000 for each week of 1920, compared with $184,266,000 average for the corresponding weeks of 1919, a decrease during 1920 of 2.9%. The entire year 1920 averaged $183,676,000, compared with an average for 1919 of $165,589,000, an increase during 1920 of 10.9%. Condition reports received weekly from eighty member banks in selected cities of the District show the following: December 3, 1920 January 2, 1920 Loans Outstanding......................... $ Demand Deposits......................... . Time Deposits................................. 489,311,000 369,225,000 97,045,000 $ 484,328,000 332.729.000 108.317.000 December 31, 1920 $ 468,971,000 231.750.000 108.192.000 These figures show little change during December 1920, deposits having decreased approximately a million and a quarter while loans outstanding increased slightly more than four and a half million dollars. Outstanding loans at the close of 1920 were $340,000 less than at the beginning of the year, but deposits—combined demand and time—had decreased during the year $26,328,000. These figures show the liberality with which the bankers have treated their customers, a decrease in deposits of 5.6% having been followed by a decrease in outstanding loans of only .07%. A decrease in outstanding loans to correspond to the percentage decrease in deposits would have required the calling of approximately $27,000,000 of the total outstanding loans. In the statistical section of this report will be found certain tables showing clearings in reporting cities, debits to individual account, and chief items of condition reported by eighty member banks in selected cities. LABOR.— So far as our various reports indicate, there was nowhere in the District a shortage of labor at the close of the year 1920, but on the other hand there was considerable unemployment in many lines. Early in 1921 a large percentage of the textile mills that had shut down before the holidays resumed operations, which relieved the unemployment problem in that particular field, but there has been no relief in the building trades, and for unskilled labor. Many people are out of work in the larger cities, and many wage reductions have been made during the past two or three months. Several of the railroads have laid off more workmen, thus adding to the number that were dropped in the spring when the roads were returned to private ownership. Most of the men released have been shop workers and repair men. No reductions in wages have been made by the railroads or the public service corporations, but textile plants are running on a lower scale, and scattered reductions have been made in the lumber industry, in the building trades, in unskilled labor on public works, and in wages paid for farm work. As an indication of the seriousness of the unemployment problem, it is interesting to know that recently the Public Employment Bureau in Richmond requested the citizens to hunt up odd jobs around their homes and to telephone requests for men to be sent to do them, even if the jobs would give employment for only a few hours to some needy worker. FOODS.—Prices of food changed little during December, there having been only slight variations. Flour advanced a fraction over the November quotations, but on the other hand sugar and loaf bread became cheaper, though neither has as yet gotten back to anything like the pre-war price. Meats have been more or less sta tionary for the past month, but eggs and butter have continued the decline mentioned last month. The con sumers are gradually sharing in more and more of the reductions previously made by wholesalers and man ufacturers, as retailers get rid of stocks bought at high prices and restock at the more recent figures. Res taurant prices have been reduced to some extent, though a number of restaurant owners state that they are tied up under contract for supplies and cannot reduce their prices until these contracts expire. The De partment of- Labor estimates that at the close of December, food prices had decreased about 30% during the past six months, but were still 76.3% higher than in December, 1914. COTTON AND TOBACCO.-—Prices for both cotton and tobacco continue unsatisfactory to the growers and they are therefore holding every bale and pound that they can. Little of either commodity was sold during December, and many of the tobacco markets were closed a good part of the month, or until after the holidays. Much talk of reduced acreage for 1921 continues, and numerous plans to enforce a reduction have been ad vanced, but it is yet too early to say whether or not these plans will show material results. Crop reduction is a difficult thing to bring about, and no one will be able to say definitely whether there has been much change in acreage until the crops have been planted. Some low grade cotton has been left ungathered, the growers claiming that the expense of gathering exceeds the amount that can be realized for this cotton, but it is unlikely that this will materially reduce the dollar value of the year’s crop. To abandon a matured crop seems an unwise policy, for even if the expense of gather ing is excessive at present, it could be gathered for less than the cost of producing a new crop. Also if gathered the certainty of waste in abandoning it would be avoided. Around the opening of the New Year both cotton and tobacco prices have shown an upward tendency, but fundamental conditions responsible for the present low quotations have changed little; and no sharp re covery in prices has occurred. COAL.— It appears from reports issued by the U. S. Geological Survey and various mining associations that there is now little danger of a winter shortage of fuel. Production Has been good during the past two or three months, and transportation facilities have been sufficient to move the product to the points of consump tion. There may be scattered shortages, but on the whole there is abundant coal in sight to care for the needs of consumers. Prices at the mines are reported as lower than those quoted some months ago, but retail prices continue firm at the old figures. There are no serious labor troubles at the mines lociated in the Fifth District, although there are still a few areas in West Virginia with local disturbances. TEXTILES.—The manufacture of cotton yarns and cloth is one of the largest industries in the Fifth Dis trict, and the mills of North and South Carolina are showing signs of recovery from the decided slump in business experienced during the fall of 1920. During November and December many of the mills operated on part time, and a number of them closed entirely two or three weeks before Christmas, but since the first of January 1921 most of them have resumed operations and are running on approximately full time. The cost of production has been considerably reduced by wage adjustments that average something like 25%, these reductions having been made in a majority of the Southern mills. Mill managers report that the prospect for new business is brighter than before Christmas, and most of them expect to secure orders in a short time to fill in the reductions retailers have made in their stocks. CLOTHING AND SHOES.— Clothing and shoes have been reduced sharply in the retail establishments since Christmas, though there were few reductions during December until after the holidays. Clothing for men has been cut enough to make the purchase of a good suit possible at reasonable figures, and stores are featuring medium priced goods rather than the higher grades formerly in demand. The average suit sold in the spring of 1919 was in the neighborhood of $65, but the average suit quoted by the leading houses today is in the neighborhood of $45, a drop of about 31%; Prices of shirts have decreased even more, one of the largest manu facturers having announced a 50% cut on all grades. Retail stores generally have had special sales at reductions ranging from 25 to 50% during the last week in December and first weeks of January. * Underwear prices have followed the outer clothing in the downward trend, and hosiery has been sharply reduced by both manufac turers and retailers. One of the largest hosiery manufacturers in the United States, which is located in the Fifth District, announced early in January a new scale of prices, and also stated that tha new year had brought more orders in two weeks than they had secured during the previous three months. Shoes have declined further, in keeping with lowered costs of leather, thotigh some of the reduction is due to the seasonal effort to move winter goods before spring stocks arrive. The reductions announced this year are more evident than those made during the past two winters, and it is now possible to buy a high grade shoe for $8 to $10, or perhaps less, in comparison with similar grades that sold from $12.50 to $18 in the spring of 1919. Clothing for women shares in the reductions made, but in women’s clothing the element of style is more of a factor than in men’s lines. There are always sharp reductions in women’s clothing after the seasons are well advanced, and therefore, it is exceedingly difficult to say how much the recent cuts have been due to the usual late season reductions and how much they are due to an actual reduction in price that will be permanent. The Department of Labor estimates that clothing prices were 24% lower at the end of December 1920 than at the end of June, six months earlier. HOUSING.— Little has been done during December to overcome the general shortage of homes, and not much construction of any kind was started. Building permits issued in twenty-three of the chief cities in the Fifth District totaled 592 for new construction in December 1920 compared with 1,113 in December 1919, and permits for repairs during the same months were 1,188 and 1,065, respectively, showing the tendency mentioned in our November report to convert old buildings into more modern structures instead of building new houses and stores. Total valuation for both new work and alterations in December 1920 amounted to $2,929,381 compared with total valuation of $7,342,260 authorized in December 1919, a decrease for the more recent month of 60.1%. Four of the reporting twenty-three cities showed increased valuation over the corresponding month of 1919, these being Cumberland and Frederick, Md., Roanoke, Va., and Greensboro, N. C. The highest per cent, of increase was reported by Roanoke with 142.2%, and the biggest decrease was in Greenville, S. C., which dropped 97.1% below the December 1919 figures. There is much talk of contemplated construction in the spring, but much depends upon the stability of the materials and labor market, and upon financial conditions. Some attempts have been made to reduce wages in the building trades, but the workers show a dispositionto resist ,these reductions, and their attitude may hold up the expected spring activity to some extent. The matenats inartfet is' much tower than formerly, t>ut it remains to be seen whether these reductions will hold if a decided demand for building material develops. Finally, as we have said before, money for construction work is hard to secure in the face of splendid invest ment offerings of high class listed securities. On the whole, however, contractors express the belief that the spring will witness a considerable volume of building, and the houses and business buildings are undoubtedly seriously needed. BUILDING MATERIALS.—The building materials market is little changed from conditions that existed when our review of November was written. Lumber mills have closed down indefinitely, awaiting a revival of buying, and retail lumber yards are well stocked. Manufacturers claim that present prices for lumber at the mills will not pay for the cost of production, and they contend that there is no incentive for them to cut their timber for sawing into lumber which they are obliged to sell at an actual loss, if they can sell it at all. The con sumers are skeptical as to the actual market conditions, and continue to demand further reductions before buy ing material for construction work. It appears that manufacturers have reduced their prices to the retailers of lumber more substantially than the reduction made by the latter to the ultimate consumers. Transportation conditions, so important in the building material field, have improved steadily during the fall, and little trouble is found now in securing shipments from mills. Structural steel holds firm at the standard prices quoted by the large companies, but high spot prices demanded by jobbers have been largely reduced since September. Other building materials are inactive, and few of them have declined in keeping with lumber. Hardware prices held firm a long time, but material reductions have been made in the past two or three months. WHOLESALE TRADE .—There was no revival of wholesale trade during December, retailers continuing their policy of withholding spring orders. Confidential reports on actual sales made during December 1920, November 1920, and December 1919 by representative wholesale firms dealing in groceries, dry goods, boots and shoes, hardware and furniture, show percentage decreases in sales during December 1920 in comparison with both November 1920 and December 1919. We give below a table showing the per cent, of decrease in net sales during December 1920 for each of the five lines from which reports were received: Lines Sold Groceries.......... ............................... ................................................ Dry Goods........................................................................................ Boots and Shoes................................................................................ Hardware............................. . ., , .................................................... Furniture........... .............................................................................. Percentage Decrease in December, 1920, Compared with November, 1920 December, 1919 9 .0 32.960.425.451.9- 16.054.278.823.560.2- RETAIL TRADE .—Detailed reports received for December, 1920, from twenty-two large retail establish ments in the Fifth District indicate that business during the month was better than during the previous Decem ber, 4.9% more goods by actual dollar value having been sold. Stocks on hand, reported at selling price, were 4.2% less than at the close of December 1919, and 25.5% less than at the close of November 1920. Part of this decrease is due to actual reduction in volume of stock on hand, but a portion of it is absorbed by re-marking foods to a lower selling basis, indicating a disposition to take losses, if any, and begin the new year on a basis approxi mating present markets. The ratio of stocks carried from July 1 through December, 1920, to net sales each month during the same period, was 386.6% at the end of the year, a reduction of nearly 200% from the high figure of the year, 560.7%, which was reached in August. Outstanding orders at the end of the year amounted to only 2.7% of the total purchases of merchandise during the calendar year 1919. Attention is called particularly to the table published in the statistical section of this report, in which is shown the monthly averages for the District as a whole for each month from July through December. An ex amination of the table will show how the reporting stores have gradually reduced both the stocks carried and their outstanding orders, and will also show that while business has not been as animated as is usual during the second half of the year, these typical stores sold more goods during the six months in question than during the corresponding six months of 1919, the increase averaging 10.4% each month. FIGURES ON RETAIL TRADE FOR SIX MONTHS, As Indicated by Reports from Twenty-four Department Stores in Fifth District. (C o m pile d b y t h e F e d e r a l R e s e b v e B a n k o f R ic h m o n d ) Percentage of increase in net sales during the month named, 1920, over corresponding month of 1919: July August September Baltimore........................ Richmond.............. . Washington......... 5.8 Other cities..................... 26.1 23.5 29.4 10.6 11.6 12.5 12.4 7.2 .4 7.3 13.1 9.3 6.7 24.4 13.8 7.0 11.1 19.4 6.7 2.6 2.5 2.9 District average__ 15.7 7.5 12.4 13.1 4.9 13.4 20.9 October November December Percentage of increase in net sales from July 1 through month named, 1920, over net sales during the corresponding months of 1919: July August September October November December Baltimore.............. Richmond............ . Washington....................... Other cities....................... District average.... 26.1 23.5 5.8 13.4 15.7 27.4 17.3 11.5 15.0 21.1 21.2 13.3 5.7 12.4 14.1 18.5 12.0 5.4 17.1 13.6 17.2 10.8 6.8 18.0 14.7 8.5 5.6 8.3 13.5 10.4 Percentage increase in stocks on hand, selling price, at the end of month named, to stocks on hand at the same date in 1919: July August September October November December Baltimore...................... . Richmond.................. . Washington____ Other cities..................... District average....... 60.4 32.4 33.9 46.8 44.6 26.7 24.1 30.7 39.0 29.6 17.6 25.0 23.8 25.4 21.1 12.3 21.6 6.3 37.3 15.1 .8 22.6 1.9 19.8 10.821.5 3 .5 5.3 5.3 4 .2 - Percentage increase in stocks on hand, selling price, at the end of month named, to stocks on hand at the close of the immediately preceding month, the same year: July Baltimore........................ Richmond......................... Washington...................... Other cities..................... District average__ 10.4 .9 2 .1 .6 2.5 August 1.8 8.5 .1 4.9 2.3 September October November December 11.2 13.4 8.3 8.9 .3 3.0 .1 .4 - 12.43 .7 5 .5 1 .3 - 25.026.124.628.1- .1 7 .7 - 10.2 25.5- Percentage of average stocks on hand from July 1 through the month named, to average net sales during the same period: July August September October November December Baltimore............. Richmond........................ Washington......... . Other cities..................... 534.3 407.6 491.5 553.6 532.4 465.5 513.0 718.1 520.7 458.8 478.0 593.9 482.3 441.0 475.8 554.1 439.2 425.3 445.6 527.7 376.1 359.4 374.8 479.6 District average__ 505.9 560.7 512.9 489.0 454.5 386.6 Percentage of outstanding orders for merchandise at the end of the month named, to total purchases during the calendar year 1919: July August September October November December District average............ - Denotes decrease. 16.1 14.8 8.4 7.1 3.0 2.7 BUILDING OPERATIONS FOR THE MONTHS OF DECEMBER, 1919 AND 1920 P erm it *i Is s u e d New C IT I E S o Jz; 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 1919 1920 1919 472 8 213 8 5 628 9 3 6 79 62 31* 1920 1919 1919 1920 1920 632 $1,790,040 $ 989,450 $ 578,220 $ 302,000 $ 1,076,81011,400 16,350 5,755 2,675 1,870+ 10 2 23,000 14,000 2,550 11,550+ o £ 45.510.9+ 82.5+ 1 2 3 4 14 37 43* 8 18 43 3 28 57 119,600 618,192 633,625 29,205* 250 126,750 73,095 261,045 71,040* 13,200 127,885 245,746 3,300 21,734 92,993 2,750651,248525,33341,835+ 250- 2 .1 87.359.7143.2+ 4 5 6 7 8 38 52* 7 8 181,179 106,190* 25,000 63,110 59,770* 10,000 7,250 24,350 10,000 5,000 100,96946,42020,000- 53.643.757.1- 9 10 11 32,170 70,400 4,750 174,750 18,000* 21,350 42,100 15,760 60,650 230 125,000 7,050 2,680 1,287 13,776 14,079 11,500 9,138 52,24490,97053,89356,326+ 390435,45081,504- 57.155.589.942.6 2 .1 93.061.4- 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 1 42 51* Increase or P er C ent. of In Decrease Total Valu crease or ation D ecrease A lterations 13 18 5 7 12* 17 40 18 6 2 36 14* 10 11 25 8 4 1 12 5 4 10 38 5 46 75,704 103,400 59,700 7,200 18,390* 468,300 118,663 29 15 22 32 10 2 5 11 8 64 13 4 12 47 7 13 114,550 337,500 135,000 42,565 16,650 14,900 1,900 10,700 30,050 10,567 56,000 225 9,990 10,940 3,590 4,400 117,960322,227185,51027,690- 81.692.697.164.7- 19 20 21 22 151 53 00 M aryland B a ltim o re ........................ C u m b erla n d ................... F re d e rick ......................... V ir g in ia L y n ch b u rg ...................... N o r fo lk ............................. R ich m o n d ........................ R o a n o k e ........................... S ta u n to n .......................... W est V irg in ia C h arleston ...................... H u n tin g to n ..................... P a rk ersb u rg................... N orth C arolina A s h e v ille .......................... C h a r lo tte......................... m- N e w C onstruction Repairs 287 834,835 104,780 197,155 194,368 732,842- 71.0- 23 T otals .......................... 1,113 592 1,188 $5,830,488 $2,206,060 $1,511,772 $ 723,321 $ 4,412,879- 60.1- Durham.......................... Greensboro.................... High Point.................... Wilmington................... Winston-Salem............ S outh C arolina Charleston..................... 19 20 21 22 C o lu m b ia ......................... G re e n v ille ..................... .. 23 Washington................... Spartanburg.................. D istrict of C olum bia . 1,065 MONTHLY CLEARINGS F or M o n t h of D ecem ber CITIES No. 1920 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Asheville, N. C ........ Baltimore, M d........ Charlotte, N. C....... Columbia, S. C ........ Frederick, M d.......... Greensboro, N. C . .. Greenville, S. C ___ Hagerstown, M d . . . Huntington, W. Va., Newport News, Va. Norfolk, V a .............. Raleigh, N. C .......... Richmond, V a.......... Spartanburg, S. C . . Washington, D. C . . 10 11 12 13 14 15 T o ta ls . 5, 114,194 410, 884,806 11 102,064* 11 132,103 2, 601,921 5,753,683 7r800,798 2 . 811,546 184,742 400,464 39, 597,404 5, 620,870 232, 491,030 3, 245,375: 661,473 78,1 , 815,055,034 $ 1919 Increase or Decrease Per Cent, of Increase or Decrease 6,272,922 416,623,713 1,158,7285,738,907- 18.51 .4 - 19,255,049 2,724,039 5,905,387 14,538,398 3,099,231 8,794,338 6,076,600 59,153,086 9,704,008 350,279,153 8,122,946122,118151,7046,737,600287,685390,404+ 2,676,136“ 19,555,6824,083,138117,788,123- 42.24 .5 2 . 646.39 .3 4.4+ 44.033.142.133.6- 78,036,053 625,420+ .8+ 980,461,977 165,406,943- 16.8- No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 CLEARINGS IN REPORTING CITIES FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS OF 1920 No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 CITIES Asheville, N. C ............ Baltimore, Md. Charlotte, N. C ___ Columbia, S. C ............ Frederick, M d.............. Greensboro, N. C . . . . . Greenville, S. C ........... Hagerstown, M d.......... Huntington, W. Va___ Newport News, Va___ Norfolk, V a............. Raleigh, N. C ............. Richmond, V a . .. ___ Spartanburg, S. C....... Washington, D. C ....... October | November December | Totals 1 July 1 August | September $ 6,784,480 $ 5,967,339 $ 6,489,329 $ 5,870,649 $ 5,320,479 $ 5,114,194 $ 35,546,470 431,588,887 428,563,223 419,609,008 440,313,214 397,840,545 410,884,806 2,528,799,683 11,437,945 11,575,957 13,802,856 12,796,248 11,259,757 11,102,064 71,974,827 10,592,103 11,486,343 12,367,764 12,727,097 11,475,320 11,132,103 69,780,730 2,570,636 2,924,749 2,625,490 2,867,841 2,778,181 2,601,921 16,368,818 5,677,386 6,028,148 6,744,129 6,900,594 5,460,534 5,753,683 36,564,474 9,656,285 7,317,376 9,656,285 8,780,965 8,085,220 7,800,798 51,296,929 3,088,355 3,322,327 3,573,843 3,193,171 2,877,669 2,811,546 18,866,911 8,457,889 7,980,570 8,227,079 8,796,927 9,416,585 9,184,742 52,063,792 3,958,729 3,462,855 5,040,028 3,231,593 3,569,283 3,400,464 22,662,952 38,977,264 42,168,978 47,392,336 39,221,215 40,602,070 39,597,404 247,959,267 5,462,828 5,487,905 5,877,807 6,057,361 5,893,037 5,620,870 34,399,808 239,321,358 234,098,391 229,576,858 244,107,162 247,428,654 232,491,030 1,427,023,453 4,845,239 3,464,975 3,682,520 4,757,431 4,281,723 3,245,375 24,277,263 65,663,286 75,616,642 68,133,770 75,775,063 75,253,428 78,661,473 439,103,662 $873,464,223 $843,298,832 $823,584,495 $875,396,531 $831,542,485 $829,402,473 $5,076,689,039 * t - Includes both new and repairs in Building Permits; not included in Totals in Monthly Clearings, Increase. Decrease. FAILURES IN THE FIFTH DISTRICT DURING 1919 AND 1920 N u m b e r op F a il u r es L iabilities MONTHS 1919 1920 January........................................................................................................................ February....................................... . . ............................ . . ........................................ March.......................................................................................................................... April............................................................................................................................. M ay.............................................................................................................................. June.............................................................................................................................. July.............................................................................................................................. August............................................... ............. . .......................................................... September................................................................................................................... October........................................................... ......................................................... November................................................................................................................... December.................................................................................................................... 34 27 36 27 30 30 17 20 42 21 26 45 35 40 36 14 41 37 39 40 54 58 47 97 Totals................................................................................................................... 355 538 1919 $ 1920 617,155 $ 284,943 381,910 1,335,730 457,495 464,017 660,750 88,450 491,740 1,577,684 1,001,355 314,156 316,282 1,995,634 141,410 691,785 704,352 1,646,417 119,567 1,644,702 132,640 1,184,105 581,176 1,872,700 $ 5,605,832 $ 13,100,323 CONDITION OF EIGHTY MEMBER BANKS IN SELECTED CITIES (In Thousands of Dollars) December 31, 1920 December 3, 1920 Total United States securities owned..................................................... Loans secured by United States war obligations................................. Loans secured by stocks and bonds other than United States securities................................................................................................. All other loans and investments............................................................... Reserve balance with Federal Reserve Bank........................................ Cash in vau1 ^............................................................................................... Net deman ">sits on which reserve is computed........................... Time deposit*, ............................................................................................. $ 78,728 24,886 $ 112,619 351,466 34,544 17,373 331,750 108,192 76,874 24,909 January 2, 1920 $ 111,460 347,959 35,099 17,970 332,729 108,317 102,870 37,947 113,085 341,789 41,005 22,868 371,236 98,480 DEBITS TO INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS AT CLEARING HOUSE BANKS (In Thousands of Dollars) CITIES Baltimore, M d............................................................................................... Charleston, S. C ............................................................................................ Charlotte, N. C ......... .................................................................................. Columbia, S. C .............................................................................................. Huntington, W. Va.................. . ................................. Norfolk, V a...................................................................... ............................ Raleigh, N. C ................................................................... . Richmond, Va................................................................................................ Washington, D. C ................................................................................... January 12, 1921 December 8, 1920 January 14, 1920 $ 103,349 6,655 6,744 5,517 5,786* 17,497 4,100 29,529 38,948* $ 110,435 5,203 6,886 5,696 6,282* 23,017 4,900 32,890 37,615* $ 173,391 $ 189,027 $ $ * 105,421 12,796 11,485 8,062 20,429 6,700 31,202 196,095 Not included in totals. AVERAGE WEEKLY DEBITS TO INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNT DURING THE TWELVE MONTHS OF 1920 AT REPORTING BANKS IN SEVEN IMPORTANT CLEARING HOUSE CENTERS, FIFTH FEDERAL RESERVE DISTRICT 1919 W EE K LY AVERAGE DURING January............ ....... .. February............. March........ ..... 153,088,000 138,355,000 131,822,000 137,779,000 145,289,000 166,681,000 174,709,000 172,342,000 168,576,000 189,405,000 204,225,000 195,939,000 $ 202,996,000 180,981,000 186,874,000 186,663,000 190,280,000 183,827”,000 181,862,000 175,822,000 168,949,000 186,635,000 185,518,000 177,972,000 32.6+ 30.8+ 41.8+ 35.5+ 30,9+ 10.3+ 4.1+ 2.0+ .2+ 1 .5 9 .2 9 .2 - $ 165,589,000 $ 183,676,000 10.9% ...... September......................... ......................................... ................................... October............................................................................ . . • ............ November.................................................................. ................................... December................................................................... ................................. Denotes increase. — Denotes decrease. Percentage Increase or Decrease S July........................................................... ................ .............................. + 1920 FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF RICHMOND Statement of Condition as of December 17, 1920. RESOURCES RESERVES Gold Coin and Certificates......... ................... ........ Gold Settlement Fund-Federal Reserve Board. Gold with Foreign Agencies....................... ............ .$ 2,493,442.50 28,501,405.38 3,319,707.93 TOTAL GOLD HELD B Y B A N K ................. Gold with Federal Reserve Agent............................. Gold Redemption Fund—Federal Reserve Notes. .$ 34,314,555.81 49,273,298.00 7,664,802.20 TOTAL GOLD RESERVES............................. Legal Tender Notes, Silver, etc................................ 91,252,656.01 904,647.75 TOTAL RESERVES...................................................................................... UNCOLLECTED ITEMS Currency of other banks and unassorted Currency — ..................................... Transit Items....... .......................................................................................... . .......... Checks and other Cash Items...................................................... .................. Exchanges for Clearing House........................... $ 92,157,303.76 $ 76,522,064.02 1,890,148.00 70; 346,953.63 588,689.32 3,696,273.07 TOTAL UNCOLLECTED ITEM S............................................................ EARNING ASSETS Bills Discounted—Secured by Government War Obligations.............................. Bills Discounted— All others....................................................................................... Bills Purchased in Open Market................................... .............................................. .$ TOTAL BILLS ON H A N D . , . U, S. Government Bonds................. U. S. Certificates of Indebtedness. .$ 117,551,313.26 1,233,300.00 12,261,500.00 TOTAL EARNING ASSETS........................................................................ MISCELLANEOUS ASSETS Interest Accrued on U. S. Securities..................................... , =_ = Advances to U. S. Government for War Loan Expenses......................................... Bank Premises.................................................................................................................... 5% Fund against Federal Reserve Bank Notes—Our own......... . ==.................... Overdrafts—Members.............................................................. ................................. All other Resources.................................................................. ................................. . 46,152,096.39 65,662,574.14 5,736,642.73 $ 131,046,113.26 117,821.77 26,629.91 1,421.709.90 451,300.00 571,494.09 43,319.27 $ TOTAL MISCELLANEOUS ASSETS.. 2,632,274.94 $ 302,357,755.98 TOTAL R ESO U R C E S..................... LIABILITIES CAPITAL AND PROFITS 5,285,300.00 8,067,365.25 2,923,098.98 Capital Paid in.............. Surplus............................. Unapportioned Profits. TOTAL CAPITAL AND PROFITS..................................................... NOTE CIRCULATION Federal Reserve Notes in actual circulation—Our own.............. Federal Reserve Bank Notes in actual circulation—Our own......................... $ 150,399,035.00 11,562,413.00 TOTAL NOTES IN ACTUAL CIRCULATION.................... DEPOSITS U. S. Treasurer............................................. Member Banks Reserve Accounts.................. ........ .. ........ Foreign Banks................................................................ .................................... Cashiers7 Checks............................................................................................... Deferred Availability—Uncollected Funds............................................... $ 161,961,448.00 18,233,580.05 58,828,560.11 196,000.00 126,421.53 46,266,887.82 $ 123,651,449.51 TOTAL GROSS DEPOSITS. MISCELLANEOUS LIABILITIES Reserve for Taxes other than Franchise Tax. Reserve for Depreciation on U. S. Securities. Unearned Discount............................................... All other Liabilities............................................... .$ .$ .$ .$ 22,813.94 4,580.00 438,780.28 2,920.07 469,094.24 TOTAL MISCELLANEOUS LIABILITIES. TOTAL LIA BILITIES................................. M EM O: Due United States Treasurer by Depositary Banks................................. Contingent Liability on Bills Discounted or S old................................... Contingent Liability on Bills Purchased for Foreign Correspondents. 16,275,764.23 $ 302,357,755.98 $ 12,429,200.00 9,873,000.00 784,000.00
@FedFRASER