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Monfhlu Review
Atlanta, Georgia
November • 1963

Meeting Seasonal Loan Demands
A Problem of Managing Bank Funds

4 Iso in this issue:
A PROSPEROUS YEAR
FOR MANY FARMERS
T E X T IL E S -A DECLINING
INDUSTRY?
GROWTH IN DISTRICT
BANKING FACILITIES
SIXTH DISTRICT
STATISTICS
DISTRICT BUSINESS
CONDITIONS

Frequently, because of seasonal forces, banks in an area may lose de­
posits when loan demands are high and gain deposits when loan demands
are low. Such alternate periods of “tightness” and “ease” create a prob­
lem for an individual bank in managing its funds, regardless of how well
Federal Reserve policy reduces the seasonal pressures on the entire
banking system. This difficulty occurs because seasonal patterns in local
areas frequently differ from those of the entire banking system. This is
so because commercial banks make most of their loans to local bor­
rowers and because the economic structures underlying the seasonal
loan demands of these borrowers differ from area to area.
At the nation’s banks, loans reach their seasonal peak in December;
in the Sixth District, however, Florida and Louisiana are the only states
that have a similar seasonal pattern of loan demand. Seasonal influences
cause loans to be highest at the end of July in Alabama, Mississippi, and
Tennessee. At Georgia banks, the seasonal peak comes at the end of
September. Seasonal lending patterns also differ markedly from area to
area within the states.
Every banker knows on the basis of past experience that more of his
customers will be requesting loans in certain months than in others and
that these months are the same year after year. Thus, the seasonal pat­
terns that are derived from data based on banking reports, used as
illustrations in this article, merely formalize what bankers already know.
Applying statistical techniques to monthly loan data* for recent years,
we have developed measures of seasonal movements, technically called
seasonal adjustment factors. These factors tell us the typical increase or
decrease from month to month, assuming the levels of outstanding loans
were influenced solely by seasonal influences and not by general economic
conditions, long-term growth or decline, or irregular forces.

The Loan M ix

S ftfem f
ffyserw
ia ttltg f
jr^ t/an ta



The figure for total loans outstanding is a composite of the loans a bank
has made to a wide variety of borrowers with different credit needs. The
borrowings of some of these persons have a seasonal pattern; those of
others do not. The borrowings that show a seasonal pattern are quite
likely to do so because of customers’ needs for more short-term working
capital during certain months of the year, rather than from their needs
for longer-term funds. In this respect, the seasonal loan demands of
farmers and businessmen are similar. A farmer needs funds to buy seed
and fertilizer, pay hired labor, and cover living expenses until his crops
are harvested and sold. The retail merchant needs working capital to
accumulate inventories prior to his heaviest selling months and to carry
the accounts receivable of his customers after the goods are sold. The
home builder needs construction funds to pay for labor and materials

The se a s o n a l p a tte rn s of both th e lo a n s a n d d e p o sits a t
a ll m em b er b a n k s in th e U. S. a n d in th e S ix th D istrict
a r e g e n e r a lly sim ila r .

PercentofTrend

LOANS

DEPOSITS

PercentofTrend

Som e s e a s o n a l p a tte rn s d iffe r, h o w e v e r, from
sta te a n d from a r e a to a r e a w ith in ea ch sta te .

PercentofTrend
STATE
Loansy^y.
j,_

sta te to

ALABAMA
PercentofTrend
MOBILEAREA
*-mr‘
A
>
"
Deposits
Deposits
-1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 IM
­ 0.1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1—
FLORIDA




GEORSIA

used during the good building months before the houses
are ready for sale. The mortgage banker may need funds
while mortgages acquired during the peak home-buying
months are being “seasoned”. These and other types of
borrowers may differ in their specific seasonal needs, but
they all have a greater need for short-term working capital
in some months than in others and they receive some of
these funds from banks.
With so many different kinds of borrowers, the seasonal
lending patterns of total loans outstanding naturally differ
from bank to bank and from area to area merely because
of the “loan mix”. In addition, banks with a high propor­
tion of borrowers whose primary need is for long-term
credit are less likely to have a marked seasonal lending
pattern than banks with a high proportion of short-term
borrowers. For example, although consumers tend to con­
centrate their car buying in the first half of the year, which
causes new automobile instalment loans by banks to be
highest then, changes in loans outstanding show less sea­
sonal response than new loans. This may be explained by
saying that the new credit granted for comparatively long
terms is only a small part of the total outstandings and, in
some cases, repayments are heavy in the same months in
which new loans are highest.
The variety of seasonal loan patterns of some specific
types of loans, as well as the contrasting patterns that re­
sult in different areas of the District from different “loan
mixes” and different local economic characteristics, is il­
lustrated by the accompanying chart in the left column of
Page 3. In general, there is likely to be a stronger seasonal
loan pattern in areas where the economic structure is
specialized than where it is more diversified. Almost all
banks, nevertheless, have a seasonal lending pattern of
some sort.

The Banker's Problem

LOUISIANA

MISSISSIPPI

TENNESSEE

This tendency for loans to rise and fall during the year in
a regular recurring pattern is of more than casual interest
to the banker. Unless he plans and prepares for these sea­
sonal peaks in lending, he may find himself either unable
to meet the usual credit demands of his customers or dis­
cover at the same time year after year that he is in an
uncomfortably tight “cash position”. The very same forces
that are determining the seasonal pattern of his loans may
also be drawing funds out of his bank when he most needs
them and vice versa.
Bankers tend to regard the amount of their deposits as
imposing a limit on their loans or investments, even though
they may know that the banking system as a whole
“creates” deposits when it extends credit on the basis of
available reserves. This is so because a bank is likely to
gain reserves during a deposit expansion and lose them
during a contraction. How much an individual bank can
lend or invest, therefore, depends upon its ability to attract
or retain deposits. Since both the inflow and withdrawal of
deposits are influenced by seasonal forces, the banker must
take them into consideration when he formulates his loan
and investment policies.
In some farming communities, for example, income is
derived principally from the sale of a few specific crops in
the late summer and early autumn, and deposits build up
.

2 •

Lo an s th a t p ro v id e sh o rt-te rm w o rk in g c a p ita l a r e m ost
lik e ly to fo llo w a se a s o n a l p a tte rn .

LOAIN
NSLO
TIN
STQ
AS
NIX
DIN
AIS
TT
M
MT
BE
EU
AD
TH0D
REIC
CR
ITB
IEASNKS

The k in d s o f fa rm e n te rp rise c a r r ie d on in a n a r e a d e te r­
m in e th e s e a s o n a l lo a n p ra ctice s o f b a n k s se rv in g fa rm ­
e r s , a s th e e x p e r ie n c e of ru ra l b a n k s in th e se a r e a s
illu s tra te s.
SILT LOAM FarmingArea (LouisianaandMississippi) CottonandLivestock

CENTRAL BASIN FarmingArea(Tennesses) Diversified Farming
Percent ofTrend

Percentof Trend

PEANUT FarmingArea (AlabamaandOeorgla)^eanuts. Cotton, Com, Hoga

Lo an s m a d e f o r lo n g e r p e rio d s sh e w le ss s e a s o n a l v a r ia ­
tion in o u tsta n d in g s.

some confidence when there will be “tight” and “easy”
periods each year, they plan their operations accordingly
to keep available funds fully employed and earning profits
and also to meet seasonal drains on their reserves when
they occur.
during these months. During this period, the banker has
ample funds to lend. The demand for loans, however, is
then at a seasonal low because farming activity is at a low
ebb. After that, deposit declines begin to drain reserves
month by month well into the following year until the
crops are harvested and sold. Beginning in the spring,
money must be spent for seed, fertilizer, and other pro­
duction expenses; some of this money travels outside the
local banking area, thus adding to the bank deposit drains.
This is the time, however, when loan demands are high.
The banker in such an area finds that when he needs funds
most he has a shortage of loanable funds and when loan­
able funds are abundant he needs them least. Thus, con­
flicting seasonal deposit and loan patterns may pose serious
problems in the management of a bank’s funds. Not all
banks have identical problems, but most of them have
seasonal problems of some sort. Since bankers know with



Meeting the Problem
Bankers meet these seasonal problems by properly man­
aging their secondary reserves, which are, in the words of
the money and banking textbooks, those earning assets
that may be quickly converted to cash at all times without
appreciable loss. Instead of leaving their funds idle during
slack periods, they invest them in earning assets that can
readily be converted into cash without loss. Since short­
term securities of the U. S. Government are subject to
fewer price fluctuations than long-term securities, they are
the chief components of secondary reserves. Skillful man­
agement spaces the maturities of these issues so that securi­
ties will mature as funds are needed. Although higher
eamings could be obtained from a portfolio consisting en­
tirely of long-term securities, there is the risk that, with a
rise in yields and a consequent decline in prices, a loss
•3 •

would be incurred if the securities were sold before ma­
turity.
The management of a bank’s cash position is a special
art. First of all, some knowledge of seasonal changes in
loans and deposits is needed. It also requires a man with
a “sharp pencil” who will watch his bank’s cash position
from day to day or even from hour to hour. He checks
by phone with his Federal Reserve Bank to determine his
reserve position; he checks within his own bank on any
expected large deposit changes; and he knows if large
blocks of securities are maturing. He must be able to esti­
mate not only today’s position, but also what it will likely
be in the future. Only then can he decide whether he
should use any existing excess funds in the Federal funds
market, buy short-term securities or commercial paper, or
whether the bank could prudently earn higher yields on
intermediate- or longer-term Government or municipal se­
curities. When he discovers that the bank is likely to be
deficient in reserves, he must decide how to erase the
deficiency. Because of the special skills required and the
time involved, a money-position specialist is frequently
found only at the larger city banks.
For many banks, especially the smaller ones, managing
the bank’s money position may be only one of the numer­
ous tasks performed by a bank officer. Paying such close
attention to the bank’s daily cash position, however, may
not be compensated by an additional gain in earnings. Some
banks, therefore, prefer to keep a cushion of excess re­
serves and correspondent balances that will meet most
emergencies. Sometimes, if not carried to an extreme, such
a policy may be the most economical one to follow.
The seasonal patterns derived from statistics reported'
by the member banks in this District’s six county Dothan
trade and banking area in southeast Alabama illustrate the
asset and liability changes made in response to seasonal
forces. This area was chosen as an illustration because it
is more dependent upon farming, particularly cotton and
peanut production, than many other areas of the District,
and, consequently, the seasonal swings in deposits and loans
are large. Typically, deposits decline seasonally during the
period in which loan demand is expanding and rise when
loan demand falls off. Of course, the operations of any one
of the banks in the area may not conform specifically to
the pattern derived from the experience of all the banks
combined. Nevertheless, the asset adjustments that were
made are typical of the action many bankers take when
faced by such seasonal changes.
The statistics for past years show, for example, that the
Dothan area member banks typically reduce their invest­
ment holdings month by month during the first half of the
year— the period when loans are rising and deposits declin­
ing. When deposits increase in the latter part of the year
as the crops are marketed, the banks typically add to their
investment holdings. They also use their excess reserves
with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, as well as their
demand balances with other banks, in making adjustments
to seasonal needs.

Atlanta or from other banks for seasonal needs? There are
two general reasons: the imprecision inherent in forecast­
ing and mistakes in bank management.
Changes in the demand for bank loans and in the level
of bank deposits are caused, of course, by changes in gen­
eral economic conditions, the long-term growth of a com­
munity, and by other not completely predictable events, as
well as by seasonal forces. At times, these forces may push
up loan demands or drain off deposits beyond a banker’s
prudent expectations. Moreover, the seasonal pattern of
lending may change as the economic character of the com­
munity the bank serves changes. For any such reason,
plans for meeting seasonal problems may prove inade­
quate. Furthermore, the “sharper” the banker’s “pencil”
and the greater his attempts to remain fully invested at all
times, the more likely it is that he will find himself faced
with special seasonal problems. Thus, large banks are
more frequent borrowers than smaller ones.
A banker may find, for example, that deposit withdraw­
als are greater than he can meet by liquidating short-term
securities. To raise funds by selling his long-term securities
on a falling market might incur losses. Sometimes such
emergency seasonal needs can be met by borrowing from
other banks through the Federal funds market, as dis-

P ro p e r m a n a g e m e n t of b a n k fun d s is e s p e c ia lly im p o rta n t
in an a r e a w h e r e cash cro p s a r e a n im p o rta n t so urce of
in com e, a s th e y a r e in th e D o th an , A la b a m a , t ra d e a n d
b a n k in g a r e a . T h e re , d e p o sits d e clin e s e a s o n a lly an d
re d u ce re s e rv e s d u rin g th e m onths w h en lo a n s a r e risin g .
D ep osits rise s e a s o n a lly w h e n lo a n s d e clin e .

DOTHANTRADEANDBANKIN6AREA

M e m b e r b a n k s in th e a r e a m e e t p e a k c re d it d e m a n d s
an d a b so rb e x c e s s fun d s ch ie fly b y a d ju stin g t h e ir in v e st­
m en t p o rtfo lio s. T h e y a ls o m a k e a d ju stm e n ts thro u g h
th e ir e x c e ss r e s e rv e s a t th e F e d e ra l R e se rv e B a n k of
A tla n ta a n d th e ir d e m a n d d e p o sit b a la n c e s d u e from
co rre sp o n d e n t b a n k s.

DOTHANTRADEANDBANKINGAREA

Borrowing for Seasonal Needs
Why, then, if a banker by planning can manage his bank’s
funds to provide for seasonal needs, do some banks oc­
casionally borrow from the Federal Reserve Bank of



•4 •

Sem e S ix th D istrict b a n k s a d ju st th e ir re s e rv e s thro u g h
th e p u rch a se a n d s a le o f F e d e ra l fu n d s. F o r a ll D istrict
b a n k s co m b in ed , th is a c t iv it y in rece n t y e a r s fo llo w s
so m e w h a t o f a se a s o n a l p a tte rn .

S e a so n a l re q u ire m e n ts b ey o n d those th a t can b e re a so n ­
a b ly m et from b a n k s' o w n re s e rv e s m a y b e m et b y sh o rt­
term b o rro w in g from th e F e d e ra l R e se rv e B a n k of A tla n ta .

cussed in the October 1962 Review. At other times, mem­
ber banks exercise their privilege of borrowing from the
Federal Reserve Banks.
“Access to the Federal Reserve discount facilities,” we
are told in Regulation A of the Board of Governors, “is
granted as a privilege of membership . . . . Federal Re­
serve credit is generally extended on a short-term basis to
a member bank in order to enable it to adjust its asset
position when necessary because of a sudden withdrawal
of deposits or seasonal requirements beyond those that
can be reasonably met from the bank’s own resources.”
Not all seasonal borrowing by member banks can be
traced to the fallibility of forecasting and planning for
seasonal needs that are to be expected. For example, there
is the banker who is surprised year after year to find a sea­
sonal pattern at his bank. He ties up all his funds in long­
term securities to take advantage of their yield or income.
When confronted by declining deposits, he may find him­
self in the position of having to replenish his reserves by
selling his securities at a loss if money market interest
rates have been rising. Or, there is the banker who tries to
achieve the seemingly impossible feat of increasing both
his loans and investments while his deposits are declining.
Circumstances such as these, even though they can be
traced to lack of foresight and should have been avoided,
can be met temporarily by borrowing at the Federal Re­



serve Bank’s discount window, since assisting banks to
maintain a liquid position is one of the primary concerns
of the Federal Reserve authorities. However, in such cases,
the Federal Reserve Bank authorities take steps to help
the member bank avoid such borrowing in the future.
Most banks are able to meet seasonal pressures on their
cash positions by properly managing their funds and use
the privilege of borrowing from the Federal Reserve Banks
only occasionally, if at all. For example, so far this year
only 61 of the 458 member banks in this District have
used the borrowing privilege. Even in the so-called “tight
money” year of 1959, only 115 resorted to borrowing
from the Federal Reserve Bank.
Both the American commercial banking system and the
Federal Reserve System are unique. In the United States,
banking is carried on by over 14,000 unit banks that are
privately owned and, for the most part, individually op­
erated; in many parts of the world, commercial banking is
highly concentrated among a few large banks.
The burden of serving the needs of the public, there­
fore, falls upon both the Federal Reserve and the pri­
vately owned and operated commercial banks. Neither can
do the job alone. Thus, the Federal Reserve System helps
this nation’s banks meet seasonal needs for money and
credit in two ways. By providing the banking system with
reserves in accordance with seasonal needs (as discussed
in the July issue of this Review), it helps avoid periods of
general seasonal credit stringency; by extending the dis­
count privilege to member banks, it helps the individual
bank solve its problem of meeting seasonal credit demands
in its own community.
On the other hand, the Federal Reserve System must
have the help of local bank management in meeting the
seasonal credit needs of individual communities. Together,
the Federal Reserve System and individual banks operate
to provide that seasonal elasticity in the supply of money
and credit envisioned by those who wrote the Federal
Reserve Act fifty years ago. If one measure of the success
of Federal Reserve policy is the avoidance of periods of
general seasonal credit stringency, one measure of com­
mercial bank management is how well it meets the peculiar
seasonal needs of its own customers.
C harles T. T

aylor

(This is the second in a series of two articles on the sea­
sonal demand for credit. The first appeared in the July
issue of this Review.)

N EW ELECTR IC PO W ER SER IES
This month, we are introducing a new electric power series. It
is an index of the total of (a) sales of electricity to ultimate
industrial users and (b) production of electric energy by indus­
trial establishments. This series replaces our former one of elec­
tric power production by utilities. W e believe the new series
will better indicate movements in industrial activity. Historical
data for the Sixth District a re a v a ila b le upon request to the
Research

Department,

Federal

Reserve

Bank

A tlan ta, G e o rg ia 30303.

•5 •

of

A tlan ta,

A Prosperous Year for Many Farmers
As 1963 draws to a close, farmers in District states are
calculating their annual cash inflow and finding it several
notches above the total in 1962. The $4-billion, six-state,
total of cash receipts from farm marketings estimated by
this Bank was about 5 percent above that in 1962, thus
setting a new District high and further extending the up­
trend prevailing since 1958. The national outcome stands
in contrast, for adverse weather and production and price
conditions in livestock and poultry enterprises dampened
the gain in farm cash receipts.
Few farmers can remember a better harvest season than
the one this fall: Weather was benign, and fields were
laden with produce. This was all the more remarkable
because the major crops in this region showed signs of
hesitation as the farming season began. Early planting
progressed rapidly, but a dry spell in May and subsequent
heavy rains hindered the crops considerably. Meanwhile,
farmers in Mississippi and Louisiana fretted as a drought
developed. Modern farming techniques and improved
weather, however, enabled farmers to catch up and outdo
themselves in boosting yields. The result has been a sure­
footed recovery marked by a surge in crop income.
On the first day of October, according to the United
States Department of Agriculture’s crop estimate, it was
apparent that 1963 was becoming a banner year in many
producing areas. Cotton, corn, and soybean growers
throughout the region made an impressive record with
their highly important crops. On cotton farms, acreage had
been reduced about 10 percent from the 1962 level, but
the total yield was, nevertheless, 13 percent larger. The
region’s corn and soybean output was more than a fifth
larger than in 1962. Sugarcane plantings, spurred by ad­
justments in sugar quotas resulting from the demise of
Cash Receipts from Farm M arketings and
Governm ent Paym ents
S ix th D istrict S ta te s
Billions of Dollars

BHIions of Dollars

Cuban supplies, have risen sharply in the major producing
areas of south-central Florida and southeastern Louisiana.
Yields have also been lifted, and total output, at last
report, was to be 35 percent larger than a year earlier.
Florida’s citrus and vegetable crops, of course, suffered
a blow when freezing temperatures numbed the state in
December 1962. But, crops of com, potatoes, cotton, soy­
beans, and pecans, in addition to the sugarcane crop, have
yielded well in the District. In the important Louisiana rice
area, lying adjacent to and west of the sugarcane section,
harvests have been successful, and producers had gathered
most of the crop before Hurricane Cindy swept in from
the Gulf of Mexico and brushed the area.
These large crop yields could insure a sizable increase
in crop receipts if prices do not sink proportionately. In
the first nine months of the year, prices for major crops
were averaging at higher levels than they were a year ago.
Corn prices were substantially higher. Although large
marketings in the fall normally put downward pressure on
prices, Governmental support prices for some crops may
prevent a widespread collapse in major crop prices. Sugar­
cane producers, meanwhile, could realize higher prices for
their crop this fall than previously anticipated. In Florida,
average prices for citrus this fall, influenced still by freeze
damage, could exceed the averages in 1962. Should these
price patterns prevail, numerous farmers in Sixth District
states would benefit.
Receipts from livestock and poultry are rising somewhat
this year because farmers increased shipments of major
items and prices for them did not drop dangerously. Yearto-year comparisons covering the first nine months of pro­
duction and price schedules reveal a notable 15-percent
gain in egg output and a 3-percent rise in average prices
for eggs; broiler output was exceeding 1962 production
by 2 percent, although average prices were 4 percent
lower; hog marketings were up 4 percent, while prices
averaged 6 percent less; and cattle marketings, milk out­
put, and their corresponding prices showed little change.
Farmers’ increased cash flow this fall and winter con­
tinues to give added punch to the District’s economy.
Spending for family living, consumer durables, and auto­
mobiles will surely be sustained in many places and prob­
ably increased in those areas where crops have turned out
especially well. This possibility is strong in northern Ala­
bama, in the Mississippi Delta, and in central Georgia,
where cotton yields were remarkably good.

N ote: D ata on Government payments not available for 1963.
Source: U. S. Department of Agriculture.




Will this brighter income picture be reproduced again
in 1964? Although there is no firm basis for a full assess­
ment at present, at least three uncertainties cloud the out­
look. First, long-range weather conditions still remain un­
predictable. Second, what will Congress do about legisla­
tion affecting important District crops? Third, will new
pressures from agricultural policies established by the
European Economic Community harry farmers in some
areas, such as the Rice Belt and the Flue-cured Tobacco
Belt? These matters will most likely nettle the District’s
farm economy next year.
A r t h u r H. K a n t n e r
•6 •

Textiles-A Declining Industry?
It is not unusual to hear that the textile industry is declin­
ing. How much substance has this statement? The answer
appears to be similar to the one given by the man who was
asked if the bottle were half full or half empty: “It depends
on how you look at it.” A look at textile employment gives
a quite different impression of what has been happening
in the textile industry than does a look at production.
Since textile employment is an important part of manu­
facturing employment-—in 1962, it accounted for 5.4 per­
cent of U. S. manufacturing employment and 12.2 percent
of District manufacturing employment— a review of U. S.
and District textile employment, as well as production, is
in order.

National Textile Trends
The dilemma created by observing different aspects of the
same industry is aptly demonstrated by developments in
the U. S. textile industry since 1947. The chart below
shows that the index of national textile employment has

increased productivity. Improvements in techniques and
machinery within the textile industry have made it possible
for fewer employees to produce more goods. The average
textile employee in 1962 was producing approximately
twice as much as in 1947.

District Textile Trends
Do the diverse trends ’that we noted at the national level
also apply to the Sixth Federal Reserve District? The
answer is that the direction of the change in employment
and output is the same; but the rates of change are dif­
ferent. The chart showing textile employment indices for
both the District and the nation reveals that the rate of
decrease within the District has been less than that for the
U. S. Between 1947 and 1962, the decrease in District
textile employment was 16.1 percent. This was much
smaller than the decrease of 30.5 percent experienced by
the U. S. during the same period.

Textile Employment and Output, 1947-62

T extile Em ploym ent/ 1947-62

U n ited S ta te s

U n ite d S ta te s a n d S ix th D istrict S ta te *

generally moved downward, although reversals did take
place in 1948, 1950, 1955, and 1959. However, these
upswings were brief and, for the most part, mild and
served only to slow down the long-run rate of decrease.
Although textile employment was up slightly in 1962, it
was 30.5 percent less than it was in 1947. Employment fig­
ures, therefore, support the contention of a declining indus­
try. However, there are indicators other than employment
that should be observed— textile production, for instance.
The Federal Reserve Board’s index of textile mill pro­
duction, which has been drawn on the same chart as the
employment index, presents a quite different view of the
textile industry. Looked at in this light, the textile industry
has been growing. Some setbacks in textile production oc­
curred in 1949, 1954, 1958, and 1960, as they did in most
other types of production. Nevertheless, the trend has very
definitely been upward. An increase in textile mill produc­
tion of 35.5 percent took place between 1947 and 1962. Al­
though this increase was substantially less than the increase
in all manufacturing production for the same period, textile
production' certainly was not declining in absolute terms.
Why do we get such divergent views while looking at
the same industry? The answer is primarily in terms of

Unfortunately, production figures comparable to those
presented earlier for the U. S. are not available for the
District. However, some indication of the changes that
have occurred in District textile production can be derived
by comparing the District’s current proportion of value
added in the textile manufacturing process with that of
an earlier period. Census data show that the District was
responsible for about 14 percent of all value added in tex­
tile manufacturing in 1947. The District’s share was about
17 percent in 1961. This is an increase of over 21 percent
and is a good indication that textile production in the Dis­
trict has grown at an even faster rate than in the U. S.
Another indication of increased production is the rise in
the percent of total production manhours worked in the
District’s textile industry. In 1950, the District states ac­
counted for 15.9 percent of total production manhours
worked. By 1961, the District’s share had grown to 19.1
percent, an increase of 20.1 percent.
Textiles are an important part of the economy of four
District states. In 1962, textile employment accounted for
15.8 percent of total manufacturing employment in Ala­
bama, 27.8 percent in Georgia, 4.1 percent in Mississippi,
and 9.6 percent in Tennessee. The textile employment
trend in each of these states has also been down, although




•7 •

the rates have varied widely. From 1947 to 1962, textile
employment decreased 30.3 percent in Alabama, 8.9 per­
cent in Georgia, 8.8 percent in Mississippi, and 16.8 per­
cent in Tennessee. However, figures for value added by
manufacture in 1947 and 1961 show that only in Alabama
has the percent of value added to textiles by District states
failed to increase.
After considering both textile employment and produc­
tion, it seems possible to assert either that the trend in tex­
tiles has been down (based on employment) or up (based
on production). It is also possible to say that from either
point of view the District appears to have fared somewhat
better than the nation as a whole. The District’s relatively
improved position may be attributed to a marked tendency
for textile producers to locate in southern states — a
tendency that has prevailed throughout most of the post­
war period.

Recent Happenings
Since the textile industry plays an important role in the
District’s economy, it might be well to inquire what changes
have occurred recently. The index of the amount of cotton
consumed by District textile mills shows signs of increased
activity in 1963. The downward movement that began
about the end of 1961 appears to have been reversed
early this year, and the index has shown a generally up­
ward movement since that time. In recent months, there
have been reports of a scarcity of some types of cloth for
immediate delivery, an increasing number of future orders,
and increased profit margins. The seasonally adjusted
monthly index of national textile mill production reached
a postwar high in July of this year.
The monthly index of District textile employment has
been declining almost continually since February 1962.
However, it has shown a tendency to level off somewhat
in recent months. In view of the existing long-run down­
trend in textile employment, this also may be considered

Cotton Consumption, 1960-63
S ix th D istrict S tates

Textile Em ployment, by Months, 1960-63
S ix th D istrict S tates

an indication of increased textile activity. However, if the
industry continues to improve its techniques and machin­
ery as in recent years, it is doubtful if any increase in
employment will be sustained sufficiently long to affect a
change in the long-run trend.
XT
&
N. D. O B annon

Growth in District Banking Facilities
There are now many more banks and bank branches in
Sixth District states than there were in 1950. This pro­
liferation has been a joint product of economic forces and
of state and national laws governing entry into banking.
In fact, the expansion in banking offices has more than
matched gains in population in most of the states. The
average banking office, however, increased in size, if we
use total deposits as a yardstick.
At the end of 1962, 1,683 banks were operating in the
Sixth District states. These banks, in turn, operated 838
branches, bringing the total number of banks and branches
to 2,521. On an average, each of these banking offices
served 8,767 persons. In contrast, only 1,786 banking of­
fices were in operation at the end of 1950, each serving,
on average, 9,755 persons.
This 41-percent increase in the number of banking of­
fices over the 12-year period was brought about in large
part by the expansion of the economies of both the nation
and of the Sixth District states. The rapidly expanding
economy of the Southeast, accompanied by rising incomes



and massive shifts in population, created the need for
additional banking facilities and services. Some of these
needs were satisfied by the formation of new banks. Others
were fulfilled by the establishment of branches by existing
banks, especially in the major metropolitan areas. In both
cases, bank stockholders showed no hesitation in invest­
ing their funds to take advantage of prospective profits or
Net Change in Banks and Branches, 1950-62
S ix th D istrict S tates
Member
Total
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
Total, 1950-62

13
22
21
30
36
39
45
38
43
62
44
65
458

Nonmember

Banks Branches
2
5
5
11
7
12
6
4
2
14
1
10
79

11
17
16
19
29
27
39
34
41
48
43
55
379

Total
24
5
14
3
38
33
22
17
21
29
39
32
277

Total

Banks Branches
17
4
1
—4
22
18
9
7
8
10
10
12
114

7
1
13
7
16
15
13
10
13
19
29
20
163

Total
37
27
35
33
74
72
67
55
64
91
83
97
735

•8 •

Banks Branch*
19
9
6
7
29
30
15
11
10
24
11
22
193

18
18
29
26
45
42
52
44
54
67
72
75
542

to maintain their competitive position within existing bank­
ing markets.
Both the extent of this bank office expansion and the
type of office established were limited, however, by na­
tional and state banking laws. Either state or national
supervisory authorities must grant permission for the
establishment of a new bank, depending upon whether the
new bank is a national or state bank. The number and
location of new branches of existing banks are dependent
upon the laws of individual states, as well as upon the
authority of the national supervisory agencies. Without
these restrictions, the number of banks and branches would
undoubtedly have grown even more than it did.
As the chart illustrates, the number of banking offices
in the Sixth District states began to increase immediately
after World War II. A marked upswing in the total numNumber of Banks and Banking Offices in
Sixth District States
D ecem b er 3 1 , 1935-62

ber of offices occurred in 1955, however, and expansion
has since continued at a rapid clip. Throughout the period,
most of the growth has taken the form of new branches,
rather than new banks. This tendency has been especially
pronounced since 1955.
Growth in banking facilities has varied widely among
the six states lying partly or wholly in the Sixth Federal
Reserve District. Florida accounted for 143, or 19 per­
cent, of the 735 new offices formed in the six states
between 1950 and 1962. Although one branch was in
operation in the early 1950’s, the banking laws of the state
of Florida are now unique among the six states because
they prohibit branch banking. All of the increase in bank­
ing offices, therefore, was in the form of new unit banks,
although some were affiliated with several “chain” sys­
tems, i.e., unit banks under single ownership. It is also
interesting to note that the 144 new banks formed in
Florida represented 73 percent of the total new banks in
the six states.
Equally significant increases in the number of banking
offices have also occurred in the other five states. In
Louisiana, 155 new offices were formed during the 12year period. Tennessee had a gain of 153 offices, Georgia
111; Alabama, 90; and Mississippi, 83. Unlike Florida,
these states permit branch banking; but the number and
location of branches are rather strictly limited.



Shifts in population occurring within the District dur­
ing the period also strongly influenced the location of new
banking offices. As the table shows, the major gain in
total banking offices occurred in “standard metropolitan
statistical areas,” which include major urban centers and
surrounding suburban areas. These centers experienced
Net Changes in Banking Offices, 1950-62
S ix th D istrict States
Member Banks
Total

Nonmember Banks

Banks Branches Total

All Banks

Banks Branches Total

Banks Branchc

Alabama
Metropolitan Areas
Other

46
20

—4
6

50
14

10
14

2
10

8
4

56
34

—2
16

58
18

Florida
Metropolitan Areas
Other

44
22

44
22

0
0

52
25

53
25

—1
0

96
47

97
47

—1
0

Georgia
Metropolitan Areas
Other

76
7

3
—2

73
9

6
22

3
14

3
8

82
29

6
12

76
17

Louisiana
Metropolitan Areas
Other
Mississippi
Metropolitan Areas
Other

67
23

4
4

63
19

22
43

6
18

16
25

89
66

10
22

79
44

11
34

0
3

11
31

4
34

0
— 12

4
46

15
68

0
—9

15
77

Tennessee
Metropolitan Areas
Other

65
43

—1
0

66
43

20
25

1
—3

19
28

85
68

District States
458
Metropolitan Areas 309
Other
149

79
46
33

379
263
116

277
114
163

117
65
52

160
49
111

735
423
312

0
—3
196
111
85

539
312
227

85
71

rapid gains in population during the 12-year period, while
rural areas in most of the states recorded only small gains
or, in some cases, declines. The higher incomes of urban
areas, moreover, provided a more attractive market for
bank services than did smaller towns. The Atlanta metro­
politan area had an increase of 53 banking offices. Bir­
mingham was second with 32 banking offices. Over the
period, 423 banks and branches were opened in the metro­
politan areas; only 312 were established outside these
areas, and many of them, moreover, were in the larger
rather than the smaller towns.
The spillover of population from the major urban cen­
ters to the suburban areas also affected the type of new
banking office established. Except for Florida, branches
accounted for a much higher proportion of new offices in
metropolitan areas than they did in the other areas of the
District states. Many bankers believe that the limited de­
mand for loans and other banking services in residential
sections of urban centers make unit banks unprofitable.
Their preference to serve such areas by establishing
branches of existing banks was denied in many cases, how­
ever, by state laws that limit the number of branches even
in the same county.
Traditionally, a higher proportion of banks in the South­
east have been nonmembers of the Federal Reserve Sys­
tem than is true for the nation as a whole. Similarly, this
Changes in Bank Structure, 1950 and 1962
S ix th D istrict Sta te s
Percentage of all banks that are:
Par Clearing
Members of F.R.S.

Alabama
Florida
Georgia
Louisiana
Mississippi
Tennessee
District States
United States

1950

1962

1950

1962

57
65
28
37
20
69
46
86

66
88
34
47
30
75
58
88

41
37
17
28
15
28
26
47

39
42
16
28
18
28
28
45

Population per
banking office
1962
1950
1 2 ,2 %
13,847
7,864
11,135
8,130
8,419
9,755
8,033

.

9,785
15,843
7,410
8,534
6,442
6,713
8,767
7,212

9

.

Deposits per
banking office
1962
1950
(Thousands of $)
5,106
7,038
10,042 16,190
4,994
4,063
8,319
7,616
3,048
4,387
5,272
7,011
7,880
5,469
8,242 11,769

region has been a stronghold of nonpar banks, i.e., banks
that deduct an exchange charge for checks drawn on them.
Although these conditions are still true, the Sixth District
states have improved somewhat in both respects between
1950 and 1962, as the preceding table indicates. The
number of member banks as a percent of all banks in­
creased from 26 percent in 1950 to 28 percent in 1962.
At the same time, the par bank percentage rose from 46
percent to 58 percent. Among the individual states, Flor­
ida showed the greatest relative increase in both types of
banks, and, significantly, this state also has the smallest
proportion of nonmember and nonpar banks.

B a n k A n n o u n c e m e n ts
The North Shore Bank, Miami Beach, Florida, a state
member bank, converted into a national banking asso­
ciation as of the close of business on September 30,
opening as a national bank under the title of City
National Bank of Miami Beach on October 1. Capital
is $1,250,000, and surplus and undivided profits,
$1,770,000, as reported by the Comptroller of Cur­
rency at the time the conversion was approved.
On October 17, The Harbor City National Bank of
Eau Gallie, Eau Gallie, Florida, a newly organized
member bank, opened for business and began to remit
at par for checks drawn on it when received from the
Federal Reserve Bank. Officers are C. Robert Brown,
President; W. Lansing Gleason and Joe H. Wickham,
Vice Presidents; and Charles R. Choate, Assistant Vice
President and Cashier. Capital is $400,000, and surplus
and undivided profits, $350,000, as reported by the
Comptroller of Currency at the time the charter was
granted.
The Peoples Liberty National Bank of North Miami,
North Miami, Florida, a newly organized member bank,
opened for business on October 21 and began to remit
at par. Officers include Leonard Usina, President;
Frank H. Wilier, Vice President; and Roland M. Staf­
ford, Vice President and Cashier. Capital is $400,000,
and surplus and other capital funds, $200,000, as re­
ported by the Comptroller of Currency at the time the
charter was granted.
On October 23, the Liberty National Bank of Fort
Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a newly organ­
ized member bank, opened for business and began to
remit at par. Officers include Foy B. Fleming, Chair­
man of the Board; Scott L. Moore, President; Clyde
W. Mauldin and J. H. Collins, Jr., Vice Presidents; and
James P. McNatt, Cashier. Capital is $250,000, and
surplus and undivided profits, $125,000, as reported by
the Comptroller of Currency at the time the charter
was granted.
The Commercial Bank at Fort Pierce, Fort Pierce,
Florida, a nonmember state bank, converted into a
national banking association as of the close of business
on October 29, opening as a national bank under the
title of First National Bank of Fort Pierce on October
30. Officers are Henry M. Jernigan, President and Chair­
man of the Board; James H. Wiles, Vice President; and
Donald C. Hebert, Vice President and Cashier. Capital
is $400,000, and surplus and undivided profits,
$232,000, as reported by the Comptroller of Currency
at the time the conversion was approved.



Debits to Individual Demand Deposit Accounts
In su re d C o m m ercial B an k s in the S ix th

D istrict

(In Thousands of Dollars)
Percent Change
Year-to-date
9 months
Sept. 1963 from
1963
Aug.
Sept.
from
1963
1962
1962

Sept.
1963

Aug.
1963

Sept.
1962

2,752,301
49,099
1,002,264
48,698
41,793
114,076
331,820
211,900
34,551
66,051

2,784,907
48,727
1,017,022
42,508
43,146
113,229
320,989
2 3 4 ,4 .4
30,892
71,191

2,375,558
45,061
860,847
43,551
34,963
85,048
279,407
188,307
34,350
64,606

—1
+1
—1
+ 15
—3
+ 1
+3
— 10
+ 12
—7

+ 16
+9
+ 16
+ 12
+ 20
+ 34
+ 19
+ 13
+ 1
+ 2

+ 12
+6
+ 11
+ 7
+ 12
+30
+ 11
+ 14
+8
+ 7

FLORIDA, Totalf . .
Bartow* . . . .
Bradenton* . . .
Brevard County*
Clearwater*
. .
Daytona Beach*
Delray Beach* . .
Ft. Lauderdale*
Ft. MyersNorth Ft. Myers*
Gainesville*
. .
Jacksonville . . .
Key West* . . .
Lakeland*
. . .
Miami
. . . .
Greater Miami*
Ocala*
. . . .
Orlando . . . .
Pensacola
. . .
St. Augustine* . .
St. Petersburg . .
Sarasota*
. . .
Tallahassee*
. .
Tampa
. . . .
W. Palm-Palm Bch.*
Winter Haven* . .

5,981,904
20,554
39,962
131,710
65,185
67,149
17,998
198,778

6,034,169
20,162
41,922
134,857
63,567
65,036
17,693
201,034

5,001,684
n.a.
38,082
n.a.
n.a.
53,170
n.a.
181,455

—1
+ 2
—5
—2
+3
+3
+2
—1

+ 20
n.a.
+5
n.a.
n.a.
+26
n.a.
+10

+ 10
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
+13
n.a.
+4

48,599
56,710
905,038
16,601
78,628
937,156
1,383,282
39,904
263,858
92,088
10,478
210,068
72,883
76,136
452,402
140,084
41,534

46,648
53,346
928,057
17,287
81,440
909,088
1,360,512
43,534
267,558
100,021
14,887
215,989
72,084
77,443
469,623
138,769
38,131

n.a.
48,525
772,195
15,604
71,585
850,332
1,233,766
n.a.
226,954
82,929
n.a.
187,802
63,585
66,280
392,446
135,786
n.a.

+4
+6
—2
—4
—3
+3
+2
—8
—1
—8
— 30
—3
+1
—2
■
—4
+1
+9

n.a.
+17
+ 17
+6
+ 10
+ 10
+ 12
n.a.
+ 16
+ 11
n.a.
+ 12
+15
+15
+ 15
+3
n.a.

n.a.
+ 13
+ 4
+3
+5
+4
+6
n.a.
+ 11
+9
n.a.
+ 0
+ 12
+9
+7
—1
n.a.

GEORGIA, Totalf
Albany
. . . .
Athens* . . . .
Atlanta . . . .
Augusta . . . .
Brunswick
. .
Columbus
. .
Dalton* . . . .
Elberton . . . .
Gainesville* . .
Griffin* . . . .
LaGrange* . .
Macon
. . . .
Marietta*
. .
Newnan . . . .
Rome*
. . . .
Savannah
. .
Valdosta . . . .

5,757,164
66,512
46,122
3,373,244
134,784
32,918
138,457
71,629
9,613
56,577
23,437
16,542
147,732
41,257
20,374
55,560
189,883
37,349

5,823,543
60,541
48,848
3,394,562
143,122
33,536
138,354
59,402
12,314
60,558
22,449
16,254
151,767
46,758
23,599
52,879
201,675
44,566

4,269,258
55,613
40,454
2,348,846
125,215
29,484
115,323
53,497
10,669
52,610
21,250
16,375
128,364
36,366
19,797
47,036
176,295
33,653

—1
+ 10
—1
—6
—2
+ 0
+ 21
— 22
—7
+4
+2
—3
— 12
— 14
+5
—6
— 16

+35
+20
+ 14
+ 44
+8
+ 12
+ 20
+ 34
— 10
+8
+ 10
+1
+ 15
+ 13
+3
+ 18
+8
+ 11

+16
+6
+4
+ 21
+13
+6
+6
n.a.
+3
+7
+6
—4
+9
+18
+0
+5
+6
+2

2,772,594
9,110
84,587
327,366
5,287
22,590
72,557
84,066
26,734
1,466,760
6,831
20,947

2,839,023
8,182
91,429
301,091
4,681
24,194
80,557
86,316
25,057
1,535,875
6,692
14,495

2,425,611
n.a.
75,757
272,346
6,152
n.a.
68,324
79,971
n.a.
1,306,373
6,875
15,068

—2
+11
—7
+9
+ 13
—7
— 10
—3
+7
—5
+ 2
+ 45

+ 14
n.a.
+ 12
+20
— 14
n.a.
+6
+5
n.a.
+ 12
—1
+39

+ 10
n.a.
+7
+ 11
n.a.
n.a.
+ 12
+ 2
n.a.
+6
n.a.
n.a.

949,256
70,402
39,555
389,535
29,775
53,039
27,850

985,230
71,786
40,007
393,193
30,835
50,434
28,547

815,145
56,143
38,643
338,445
25,710
46,832
24,342

—4
—2
—1
—1
—3
+5
—2

+ 16
+ 25
+2
+ 15
+ 16
+ 13
+ 14

+9
+ 13
—1
+7
+3
+9
+ 10

38,369
27,526
19,030

43,081
25,902
37,994

n.a.
22,828
n.a.

— 11
+6
— 50

n.a.
+ 21
n.a.

n.a.
+11
n.a.

2,796,120
53,657
377,977
51,033
96,916
284,967
1,104,148

2,627,662
52,197
378,660
51,420
95,481
287,561
984,483

2,243,346
51,838
339,908
44,429
87,556
245,917
781,921

+6
+3
—0
—1
+2
—1
+ 12

+ 25
+4
+ 11
+ 15
+11
+ 16
+41

+10
+4
+8
+9
+2
+7
+11

SIXTH DISTRICT, Total 20,827,339
Total, 32 Cities
12,851,989

21,094,534
12,884,700

17,130,622
10,481,237

—1
—0

+ 22
+ 23

+11
+10

310,800,000 300,500,000 263,300,000

+3

+18

+ 10

ALABAMA, Totalf
Anniston . . . .
Birmingham . .
Dothan
. . . .
Gadsden . . . .
Huntsville* . .
Mobile
. . . .
Montgomery
.
Selma*
. . . .
Tuscaloosa* . .

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.

LOUISIANA, T o ta lt**
Abbeville*
. . .
Alexandria* . . .
Baton Rouge
. .
Bunkie* . . . .
Hammond* . . .
Lafayette* . . .
Lake Charles
. .
New Iberia* . . .
New Orleans
. .
Plaquemine*
. .
Thibodaux* . . .
M IS SIS S IP P I, T o t a lt "
Biloxi-Gulfport* .
Hattiesburg . . .
Jackson . . . .
Laurel* . . . .
Meridian . . . .
Natchez^
. . .
PascagoulaMoss Point* . .
Vicksburg
. . .
Yazoo City* . . .
TEN N ESSEE, T o ta lt**
Bristol* . . . .
Chattanooga
. .
Johnson City* . .
Kingsport* . . .
Knoxville
. . .
Nashville . . . .

UNITED STATES
344 Cities
. .

.

—b

*N o t included in total for 3 2 cities that are part of the national debit series main­
tained by the Board of Governors.
f P a rtly estimated.
n.a. Not available.
♦♦Includes only banks in the Sixth District portion of the state.

• 10 •

Sixth District Statistics
Seasonally Adjusted
( A ll d a t a

a r e in d e x e s , 1 9 5 7 - 5 9 =

Latest Month
(1963)
S IX T H

One
Month
Ago

Two
Months
Ago

One
Year
Ago

37,946r
123
127
118
112
119

160
155

139
143

112
110
130
106
116
105
94
107
99
94
117
113
99
83
3.5
41.2
136
145
145
144
119
103
165

111
109
131r
105
114r
104
94r
106
99
94
111
112
98
87
3.7
40.9r
132
122
141
107
116
99
166r

111
110
132
105
113
103
93
107
99
94
115
112
100
92
3.7
40.7r
132
122
140
106
118
107
160

109
108
127
103
108
103
93
106
96
96
112
110
98
84
4.3
4 1 .I r
128
108
117
99
113
100
152

FINANCE AND BANKING
Member Bank Loans*
All B a n k s ....................................................... Sept.
Leading C i t i e s ............................................ Oct.

158
154

154
150

153
144

139
137

Member Bank Deposits*
All B a n k s ....................................................... Sept.
Leading C i t i e s ............................................ Oct.
Bank D e b i t s * / * * ............................................ Sept.

135
125
152

131
127
143

131
124
141

124
120
130

PRODUCTION AND EMPLOYMENT
Nonfarm Em ploym ent.......................................Sept.
M a n u fa ctu rin g ............................................ Sept.
A p p a re l....................................................... Sept.
C h e m ic a ls..................................................Sept.
Fabricated M e t a l s ................................. Sept.
F o o d .............................................................Sept.
Lbr., Wood Prod., Furn. & Fix. . . . Sept.
P a p e r ....................................................... Sept.
Primary M e t a l s .......................................Sept.
T e x tile s....................................................... Sept.
Transportation Equipment
. . . .
Sept.
Nonmanufacturing.......................................Sept.
C o nstru ctio n ............................................ Sept.
Farm Em p loym ent............................................ Sept.
Insured Unemployment, (Percentof Cov. Emp.) Sept.
Avg. Weekly Hrs. in Mfg., (H rs.)*** . . . Sept.
Manufacturing P a y r o l l s ................................. Sept.
Construction C o n t r a c t s * ................................. Sept.
Residential
..................................................Sept.
All O t h e r ....................................................... Sept.
Electric Power P ro d u c tio n * * * ...................... Sept.
Cotton Consumption**
................................. Sept.
Petrol. Prod, in Coastal La. and M iss.**
. Sept.

Two
Months
Ago

One
Year
Ago

Personal Income, (Mil. $, Annual Rate) . . Aug.
Farm Cash R e c e i p t s ...................................... Aug.
Department Store S a l e s * * ............................Sept.

7,641
127
123

7,644r
135
124r

7,496r
117
114

7,167r
116
113

PRODUCTION AND EMPLOYMENT
Nonfarm Em ploym ent.......................................Sept.
M a n u fa c tu rin g ............................................ Sept.
Nonmanufacturing.......................................Sept.
C o n stru ctio n ............................................Sept.
Farm Em ploym ent............................................Sept.
Insured Unemployment, (Percentof Cov. Emp.) Sept.
Avg. Weekly Hrs. in Mfg., (Hrs.) . . . .
Sept.
Manufacturing P a y r o l l s ................................. Sept.

114
109
116
Ill
82
2.8
40.4
135

113
107
116r
113
90
3.1
40 .2r
129r

113
108
115
116
97
3.0
39.7
128

75
3.2
40.4
126

164
137
174

158
133
168

156
137
153

143
128
135

110
106
112
111

FINANCE AND BANKING
Member Bank L o a n s .......................................Sept.
Member Bank D e p o s i t s .................................Sept.
Bank D e b i t s * * ................................................. Sept.

LO U ISIA N A
INCOME AND SPENDING
Aug.
Aug.
Sept.

6,068
119
111

6,066r
109
113

6,023r
112
111

5,680r
124
102

Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.

103
99
104
92
90
3.7
42.8
128

102
98
103
91
98
4.0
42.0r
124r

102
99
103
94
96
4.1
42.1
124

101
97
102
82
91
4.5
43.2
120

Sept.
Sept.
Sept.

145
122
127

141
120
125

145
119
132

132
114
117

Aug.
Aug.
Sept.

3,048
137
102

3,065r
121
109

3,046r
127
97

2,879r
140
101

Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.

114
117
113
109
66
4.3
40.9
141

114
117
113r
107
69
4.4
40.7r
140

115
117
113
112
78
4.8
40.4
139

112
114
111
106
77
4.7
40.5
132

Sept.
Sept.
Sept.

177
147
154

175
142
151

169
143
139

158
133
139

Aug.
Aug.
Sept.

6,546
106
114

6,564r
105
115

6,469r
103
106

6,104r
108
113

Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Insured Unemployment, (Percentof Cov. Emp.)) Sept.
Avg. Weekly Hrs. in Mfg., (Hrs.) .
. Sept.
. Sept.

111
112
110
122
96
4.2
41.3
132

111
112
111
121
96
4.1
40.9r
131r

111
112
110
122
98
4.8
41.1
131

109
110
109
123
93
5.5
40.9
125

161
135
164

157
132
140

154
135
141

141
125
139

Personal Income, (Mil. $, Annual Rate)

PRODUCTION AND EMPLOYMENT

Insured Unemployment, (Percentof Cov. Emp.)
Avg. Weekly Hrs. in Mfg., (Hrs.) . . . .
Manufacturing P a y r o l l s .................................
FINANCE AND BANKING

Bank Debits*/*

MISSISSIPPI

A LABAM A

INCOME AND SPENDING
5,150r
137
109

Aug.
Aug.
Sept.

5,564
144
102

5,595r
119
107

5,457r
118
105

Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.

107
101
109
94
83
4.1
40.7
122

106
102
109r
94
74
3.9
41.0
121

107
102
109
93
95
4.0
40.4
120r

105
101
107
93
87
4.9
40.6
117

Sept.
Sept.
Sept.

157
134
143

154
131
137

153
133
135

137
124
130

Personal Income, (Mil. $, Annual Rate)

PRODUCTION AND EMPLOYMENT

PRODUCTION AND EMPLOYMENT

Insured Unemployment, (Percentof Cov. Emp.)
Avg. Weekly Hrs. in Mfg., (Hrs.) . . . .
Manufacturing P a y r o l l s .................................
FINANCE AND BANKING

FINANCE AND BANKING

Bank Debits**

One
Month
Ago

INCOME AND SPENDING
40,610r 39,784r
122
107
122
95
120
114
130
130r
124
128
150
154

Insured Unemployment, (Percentof Cov. Emp.)
Avg. Weekly Hrs. in Mfg., (Hrs.) . . . .
Manufacturing P a y r o l l s .................................

Latest Month
(1963)

G EO R G IA

D IS T R IC T

INCOME AND SPENDING
Personal Income, (Mil. $, Annual Rate) . . Aug. 40,455
Farm Cash R e c e i p t s .......................................Aug.
125
C r o p s ............................................................ Aug.
131
L iv e s t o c k ....................................................... Aug.
120
123p
Department Store S a l e s * / * * ...................... Oct.
Department Store S t o c k s * ............................Sept.
125
Instalment Credit at Banks, *(M il. $)
New Lo a n s....................................................... Sept.
151
R e p a y m e n ts..................................................Sept.
159

INCOME AND SPENDING
Personal Income, (Mil. $, Annual Rate)

1 0 0 , u n le s s in d ic a t e d o t h e r w is e .)

TENNESSEE

FLORIDA
INCOME AND SPENDING
Personal Income, (Mil. $, Annual Rate) . . Aug.
Farm Cash R e c e i p t s .......................................Aug.
Department Store S a l e s * * ............................Sept.

11,588
117
165

PRODUCTION AND EMPLOYMENT
Nonfarm Em ploym ent.......................................Sept.
M a n u fa c tu rin g ............................................ Sept.
Nonmanufacturing.......................................Sept.
C o n stru ctio n ............................................ Sept.
Farm Em ploym ent............................................ Sept.
Insured Unemployment, (Percentof Cov. Emp.) Sept.
Avg. Weekly Hrs. in Mfg., (Hrs.) . . . .
Sept.
Manufacturing P a y r o l l s ................................. Sept.

119
124
118
92
109
3.0
41.8
164

118
123
117
90
108
3.0
41.2
162

3.0
41.2
160

115
94
97
4.0
41.8
155

157
138
147

154
134
137

153
129
138

136
126
130

FINANCE AND BANKING
Member Bank L o a n s .......................................Sept.
Member Bank D e p o s i t s ................................. Sept.
Bank D e b i t s * * ..................................................Sept.

ll,6 7 6 r
124
161

ll ,2 9 3 r
83
157

10,966r
132
147

INCOME AND SPENDING
Personal Income, (Mil. $, Annual Rate)

PRODUCTION AND EMPLOYMENT
118
123
117
91

110

116

121

.
.
,

FINANCE AND BANKING

Bank Debits* / *

.
.

Sept.
Sept.
Sept.

•For Sixth District area only. Other totals for entire six states.
**Daily average basis.
p Preliminary.
r Revised.
••♦Figures reflect revision of seasonal adjustment factors. See Page 5 for note on new electric power series.
Sources: Personal income estimated by this Bank; nonfarm, mfg. and nonmfg. emp., mfg. payrolls and hours, and unemp., U. S. Dept, of Labor and cooperating state agencies; cotton
consumption, U. S. Bureau of Census; construction contracts, F. W. Dodge Corp.; petrol, prod., U. S. Bureau of Mines; elec. power prod., Fed. Power Comm.; farm cash receipts and
farm emp., U.S.D.A. Other indexes based on data collected by this Bank. All indexes calculated by this Bank.




• 11 •

D

I S

T

R

I C

T

B

U

S

I N

E

S

S

C

O

N

D

I T

I O

N

S

I I I I I | I I I I >I I I I I I ......... I I I I I I | I I I I I
. B illio n s o f D o lla r s

I he economy continues to climb upward. M easured by construction
contract aw ard s, building activity rem ained a strong force in this
region's business. Nominal but fa irly w idespread gains in em ploym ent
also occurred, with advances in transportation equipm ent, metal
fabrication, and food processing foremost among them. In the farm
economy, banner crop yields a re lifting incomes to higher levels.
M eanw hile, retail sales rose som ewhat.

U*

U*

is

Building activity held at a high level. Construction contracts for the
first nine months of this year stand well above those for the same period last
year. Residential construction outside major metropolitan areas continues to
exhibit the greatest vitality. Contract awards for other purposes throughout
the region show less strength.
v* U*
Nonagricultural employment edged upw ard, and manufacturing
employment in important lines also advanced. An expansion in nonagri­

cultural employment occurred in all states except Tennessee, where it
declined only slightly. Employment in most manufacturing categories rose
somewhat in September and boosted payrolls. The transportation equipment
industry, rebounding from the slower pace associated with auto model changeovers, marked up the largest gain in employment. Construction employment
also increased. In fact, the only sizable dip in manufacturing employment
occurred in the apparel industry.
)S
Reports from farm ing are a s tell of a banner fall season for farm ers.

Crops are yielding bountifully, and, overall, prices have slipped down only
slightly. In line with these developments, farm creditors surveyed by this Bank
report excellent debt repayment by farmers this season. A major adverse
development, however, is a widespread fall drought that is stunting pastures
and delaying fall plantings.
An upswing in bank credit in October also contributed to economic
growth. Viewed on the basis of weekly reports from member banks in leading

cities, total bank credit advanced somewhat further from recent high levels,
as gains in bank loans more than offset declines in investments. Although
total deposits receded a bit, banks met vigorous loan demands by drawing
down excess reserves and by reducing their holdings of securities. Consumer
and real estate loans at member banks have increased substantially. On the
fiscal side of financial developments, bond sales by state and municipal gov­
ernments slumped in September, but the region’s total sales that month were
still slightly above those of a year earlier.

Rising employment and p ayrolls helped m aintain a high level of
retail spending. Following the dip in August, personal income apparently

. P E R C E N T O F R E Q U IR E D R E S E R V E S

Excess Reserves

9l> m

Borrowings from F. R. Bank
f t n w i t n«w

 1962
1961
http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/
*Seas. adj. figure; not an index.
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

rose during September. Meanwhile, consumer debt outstanding shrank during
the month, as the volume of automobile loans was reduced and consumers
borrowed less for home repair and modernization, consumer durables, and
personal affairs. Sales at furniture stores spurted upward, as activity height­
ened in Florida and Mississippi. After registering no change in September,
department store sales dipped slightly in October. Scattered reports indicate,
however, that the pace of automobile sales in October became more brisk.
N o t e : D a t a o n w h ic h s t a te m e n t s a r e b a s e d h a v e b e e n a d ju s t e d w h e n e v e r p o s s ib le t o e lim in a t e
s e a s o n a l in flu e n c e s.