View original document

The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.

[P u b l ic — No. 235— 7 3 d
[S. 2841]

C

ongress

]

AN ACT
To provide punishment for certain offenses committed against banks organized
or operating under laws of the United States or any member of the Federal
Reserve System.
B e it enacted b y the S en ate and H o u se o f R ep resen ta tives o f theU n ited S tates o f A m e r ic a in C on gress assem bled , That as used in

this A ct the term “ bank ” includes any member bank of the Federal
Reserve System, and any bank, banking association, trust company,
savings bank, or other banking institution organized or operating
under the laws o f the United States.
S e c . 2 . ( a ) Whoever, by force and violence, or by putting in fear,
feloniously takes, or feloniously attempts to take, from the person
or presence o f another any property or money or any other thing
o f value belonging to, or in the care, custody, control, management,
or possession of, any bank shall be fined not more than $5,000 or
imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
(b ) W hoever, in committing, or in attempting to commit, any
offense defined in subsection (a) o f this section, assaults any person,
or puts in jeopardy the life o f any person by the use o f a dangerous
weapon or device, shall be fined not less than $1,000 nor more than
$10,000 or imprisoned not less than five years nor more than twentyfive years, or both.
S e c . 3. Whoever, in committing any offense defined in this Act,
or in avoiding or attempting to avoid apprehension for the commis­
sion o f such offense, or in freeing himself or attempting to free
himself from arrest or confinement for such offense, kills any person,
or forces any person to accompany him without the consent of
such person, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than
10 years, or by death if the verdict o f the jury shall so direct.
S e c . 4. Jurisdiction over any offense defined by this A ct shall not
be reserved exclusively to courts o f the United States.
Approved, M ay 18, 1934.




(21R)

[P u b l ic — N o. 4 1 7 — 7 3 d C o n g r e ss ]
[S. 3487]
AN ACT
Relating to direct loans for industrial purposes by Federal Reserve banks, and
for other purposes.
B e it enacted b y the Senate and H o u se o f R ep resen ta tives o f the
U n ited S tates o f A m e r ic a in C on gress assem bled , That the Federal

Reserve Act, as amended, is amended by adding after section 13a
thereof a new section reading as fo llo w s:
“ S ec. 13b. (a) In exceptional circumstances, when it appears to
the satisfaction o f a Federal Reserve bank that an established indus­
trial or commercial business located in its district is unable to obtain
requisite financial assistance on a reasonable basis from the usual
sources, the Federal Reserve bank, pursuant to authority granted by
the Federal Reserve Board, may make loans to, or purchase obliga­
tions of, such business, or may make commitments with respect
thereto, on a reasonable and sound basis, for the purpose o f pro­
viding it with working capital, but no obligation shall be acquired
or commitment made hereunder with a maturity exceeding five years.
“ (b) Each Federal Reserve bank shall also have power to dis­
count for, or purchase from , any bank, trust company, mortgage
company, credit corporation for industry, or other financing institu­
tion operating in its district, obligations having maturities not ex­
ceeding five years, entered into for the purpose of obtaining working
capital for any such established industrial or commercial business;
to make loans or advances direct to any such financing institution on
the security o f such obligations; and to make commitments with
regard to such discount or purchase o f obligations or wdth respect to
such loans or advances on the security thereof, including commit­
ments made in advance o f the actual undertaking of such obligations.
Each such financing institution shall obligate itself to the satisfac­
tion o f the Federal Reserve bank for at least 20 per centum o f any
loss which may be sustained by such bank upon any of the obliga­
tions acquired from such financing institution, the existence and
amount o f any such loss to be determined in accordance with regula­
tions o f the Federal Reserve B o a rd : P r o v id e d , That in lieu of such
obligation against loss any such financing institution may advance
at least 20 per centum o f such working capital for any established
industrial or commercial business without obligating itself to the
Federal Reserve bank against loss on the amount advanced by the
Federal Reserve bank: P r o v id e d , h ow ev er , That such advances by
the financing institution and the Federal Reserve bank shall be
considered as one advance, and repayment shall be made pro rata
under such regulations as the Federal Reserve Board may prescribe.
“ (c) The aggregate amount o f loans, advances, and commit­
ments o f the Federal Reserve banks outstanding under this section
at any one time, plus the amount o f purchases and discounts under
this section held at the same time, shall not exceed the combined




(217)

219
ing o f this section. A ll amounts required to be expended by the
Secretary o f the Treasury in order to carry out the provisions of
this section shall be paid out o f the miscellaneous receipts of the
Treasury created by the increment resulting from the reduction of
the weight o f the gold dollar under the President’s proclamation of
January 31, 1934; and there is hereby appropriated, out of such
receipts, such sum as shall be required for such purpose.”
S e c . 2 . Section 5 2 0 2 o f the Revised Statutes of the United States,
as amended, is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the
follow ing new paragraph:
“ Tenth. Liabilities incurred under the provisions o f section 13b
o f the Federal Reserve A ct.”
S ec . 3. Section 22 of the Federal Reserve Act is amended
ing at the end thereof the following new paragraphs:

by

add­

“ (h) W hoever makes any material statement, knowing it to be
false, or whoever w illfully overvalues any security, for the purpose
o f influencing in any way the action o f a Federal Reserve bank upon
any application, commitment, advance, discount, purchase, or loan,
or any extension thereof by renewal, deferment of action, or other­
wise, or the acceptance, release, or substitution o f security therefor,
shall be punished by a fine o f not more than $5,000 or by imprison­
ment for not more than two years, or both.
“ (i) Whoever, being connected in any capacity with a Federal
Reserve bank (1) embezzles, abstracts, purloins, or willfully mis­
applies any moneys, funds, securities, or other things o f value,
whether belonging to it or pledged or otherwise entrusted to it, or
(2) with intent to defraud any Federal Reserve bank, or any other
body politic or corporate, or any individual, or to deceive any officer,
auditor, or examiner, makes any false entry in any book, report, or
statement o f or to a Federal Reserve bank, or, without being duly
authorized, draws any order or issues, puts forth, or assigns any
note, debenture, bond, or other obligation, or draft, mortgage, judg­
ment, or decree shall be punished by a fine o f not more than $10,000
or by imprisonment for not more than five years, or both.
“ ( j) The provisions o f sections 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, and 117
o f the Criminal Code o f the United States, insofar as applicable,
are extended to apply to contracts or agreements o f any Federal
Reserve bank under this Act, which, for the purposes hereof, shall
be held to include advances, loans, discounts, purchase, and repur­
chase agreements; extensions and renewals thereof; and acceptances,
releases, and substitutions o f security therefor.
“ (k) It shall be unlawful for any person to stipulate for or
give or receive, or consent or agree to give or receive, any fee? com­
mission, bonus, or thing o f value for procuring or endeavoring to
procure from any Federal Reserve bank any advance, loan, or exten­
sion o f credit or discount or purchase o f any obligation or commit­
ment with respect thereto, either directly from such Federal Reserve
bank or indirectly through any financing institution unless such fee,
commission, bonus, or thing o f value and all material facts with
respect to the arrangement or understanding therefor shall be dis­
closed in writing in the application or request for such advance, loan,
extension o f credit, discount, purchase, or commitment. Any viola­
tion o f the provisions o f tliis paragraph shall be punishable by




221
“ S ec. 882. (a ) Copies o f any books, records, papers, or other
documents in any o f the executive departments, or o f any corpora­
tion all o f the stock o f which is beneficially owned by the United
States, either directly or indirectly, shall be admitted in evidence
equally with the originals thereof, when duly authenticated under
the seal o f such department or corporation, respectively.
“ (b) Books or records o f account in whatever form, and minutes
(or portions thereof) o f proceedings, o f any such executive depart­
ment or corporation, or copies o f such books, records, or minutes
authenticated under the seal o f such department or corporation,
shall be admissible as evidence o f any act, transaction, occurrence,
or event as a memorandum o f which such books, records, or minutes
were kept or made.
“ (c) The seal o f any such executive department or corporation
shall be judicially noticed.”
(b) Section 4 o f the Reconstruction Finance Corporation Act, as
amended (U.S.C., Supp. V I I , title 15, sec. 604), is amended by
inserting immediately before the semicolon follow ing the words
“ corporate seal ” a comma and the words “ which shall be judicially
noticed ” .
S ec . 7. Section 1001 o f the Revised Statutes, as amended (U.S.C.,
title 2 8 , sec. 8 7 0 ) , is amended by inserting immediately after the
word “ Government ” the fo llo w in g : “ or any corporation all the
stock o f which is beneficially owned by the United States, either
directly or indirectly ” .
S ec. 8. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation Act, as amended
(U.S.C., Supp. V II, title 15, ch. 14), is further amended by inserting
after section 5a thereof the follow ing new section:
“ S ec . 5b. Notwithstanding any other provision o f law—
“ (1) The maturity o f drafts or bills o f exchange which may be
accepted by the Corporation under section 5a of this Act, and the
period for which the Corporation may make loans or advances under
sections 201 (c) and 201 (d ) o f the Emergency Relief and Construc­
tion A ct o f 1932, as amended, and under section 5 o f this Act, may
be five years, or any shorter period, from February 1, 1935: P r o v id e d ,
That in respect o f loans or advances under such section 5 to railroads,
railways, and receivers or trustees thereof, the Corporation may
require as a condition o f making any such loan or advance for a
period longer than three years that such arrangements be made for
the reduction or amortization o f the indebtedness o f the railroad or
railway, either in whole or in part, as may be approved by the Cor­
poration after the prior approval o f the Interstate Commerce
Commission.
“ (2) The Corporation may at any time, or from time to time,
extend, or consent to the extension of, the time o f payment o f any
loan or advance made by it, through renewal, substitution o f new
obligations, or otherwise, but the time for such payment shall not
be extended beyond five years from February 1, 1935: P r o v id e d ,
That the time o f payment o f loans or advances to railroads, rail­
ways, and receivers or trustees thereof, shall not be so extended
except with the prior approval o f the Interstate Commerce Commis­
sion, and, in the case o f a loan to a railroad or railway, with the prior
certification o f the Interstate Commerce Commission that the rail84921 0— 36 ------15




223
(1) B y striking from the first sentence thereof “ $50,000,000 to
or fo r the benefit of drainage districts, levee districts, levee and
drainage districts, irrigation districts, and similar districts,” and
inserting in lieu thereof “ $125,000,000 to or for the benefit of drain­
age districts, levee districts, levee and drainage districts, irrigation
districts, and similar districts, mutual nonprofit companies and
incorporated water users’ associations
(2) B y striking from the second sentence thereof “ district or
political subdivision ” and inserting in lieu thereof “ district, political
subdivision, company, or association” .
(3) B y amending clause (4) thereof to read as follow s:
“ (4) the borrower shall agree, insofar as it may lawfully do
so, that so long as any part o f such loan shall remain unpaid the
borrower will in each year apply to the repayment of such loan
or to the purchase or redemption o f the obligations issued to evi­
dence such loan, an amount equal to the amount by which the
assessments, taxes, and other charges collected by it exceed (a) the
cost o f operation and maintenance o f the project, (b) the debt
charges on its outstanding obligations, and (c) provision for such
reasonable reserves as may be approved by the Corporation; and ”
(4) By adding at the end thereof the follow ing new paragraph:
u When any loan is authorized pursuant to the provisions o f this
section and it shall then or thereafter appear that repairs and neces­
sary _extensions or improvements to the project o f such district,
political subdivision, company, or association are necessary or
desirable for the proper functioning o f its project or for the further
assurance o f its ability to repay such loan, and if it shall also appear
that such repairs and necessary extensions or improvements are not
designed to bring new lands into production, the Corporation, within
the limitation as to total amount provided in this section, may make
an additional loan or loans to such district, political subdivision,
company, or association for such purpose or purposes. When appli­
cation therefor shall have been made by any such district, political
subdivision, company, or association any loan authorized by this
section may be made either to such district, political subdivision,
company, or association or to the holders or representatives o f the
holders o f their existing indebtedness, and such loans may be made
upon promissory notes collateraled by the obligations o f such dis­
trict, political subdivision, company, or association or through the
purchase o f securities issued or to be issued by such district, political
subdivision, company, or associaton V ’
. S ec- 12- ( a) Sections 2 and 3 o f the A ct entitled “ An A ct to author­
ize the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to subscribe for pre­
ferred stock and purchase the capital notes o f insurance companies,
^ T
V ° r other purposes” , approved June 10, 1933, as amended
(U.S.C., Supp. V II, title 15, secs. 605f and 605g), are amended to
read as follow s:
“ S ec. 2. In the event that any such insurance company shall be
incoipoiated under the laws o f any State which does not permit it
to issue preferred stock, exempt from assessment or additional liabm ty, or if such laws permit such issue o f preferred stock only by
unanimous consent o f stockholders, or upon notice o f more than
twenty days, or if the insurance company is a mutual organization
1So in original.