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366
A meeting of the Federal Reserve Board with the Federal Open
Market Committee was held in Washington on Tuesday, February 5, 1935,
at 12:40
m.
P.
PRESENT:

Mr.
Mr.
Mr.
Mr.
Mr.
Mr.

Eccles, Governor
Thomas, Vice Governor
Hamlin
Miller
James
Szymczak

Mr. Morrill, Secretary
Mr. Clayton, Assistant to the Governor
Messrs. Harrison, Norris, Fleming, Seay,
Newton, Schaller, Martin, Geery,
Hamilton, McKinney and Calkins,
Governors of the Federal Reserve Banks
of. New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland,
Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis,
Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas and
San Francisco.
Mr. Paddock, Deputy Governor of the Federal
Reserve Bank of Boston.
Mr. Burgess, Secretary, Federal Open Market
Committee.
Governor Harrison stated that during the morning the Federal
°Pe mp
h d -1'4et Committee had held its first meeting of the year, that he
been
ex clats l'eaPpointed chairman, and Mr. Burgess secretary, and that an
lve c
ommittee had been appointed consisting of the Governors of
thfpea.
er*al Reserve
Banks of Boston, New York, Cleveland, Richmond and
Ch4
GQ; the
only change in the membership of the committee being the
the Governor of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond instead
°Irern°r of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. The reason
t
°I" this
aome

Flange) Governor Harrison stated, was that it was felt there
"vlintege to be gained in rotating the members of the executive




367
2/5/35

-2-

committee when it was possible to do so provided the members were
"leiently accessible to Washington to insure expeditious meetings
Whenever

necessary.

GOvernor Harrison said that the Federal Open Market Committee,
Its

meeting this morning, had ratified the action taken by the

e:""ive committee at its meeting in Washington on January 251 19551 and
e°411rmed by
telegraphic communication with the other members of the

tha

gal Open
Market Committee.

He stated that the authority granted by

action, which had been approved by the Federal Reserve Board, exPir
this

morning; that, accordingly, the Federal Open Market Committee

corisidered what it
should do for the immediate future; that it was felt

th'et it
the

was almost
impossible to determine upon any definite policy at

Present time, but
that the System should be prepared to act as cirellitietanees might
develop; and that, therefore, the Federal Open Market
Ntkittee had
adopted the following resolution:
to

VOTED, Subject to the approVal of the Federal Reserve
extetrd, and
superseding Previous authorizations, that the
shiL,Itive committee be authorized to buy, sell, or make
between maturities of government securities up to
zak 000,000 and be further authorized to buy, sell, or
04 .et shifts between maturities of an additional'Z25010001000
comm
graPhie approval of a majority of the open market
meet:'"'ee in case of emergency requiring action before a
lng of the full committee could be arranged.
GOIr
ernor Harrison discussed briefly some of the considerations
ttbcly led t0 the
adoption by the Federal Open Market Committee of the
e
resolution. He then stated that there had been submitted to the
e

eb

8 of the

Committee during its meeting a preliminary memorandum of




368
2/5/35

the

—3—

character usually presented at meetings of the Committee, and Mr.

;IhIrgess handed copies of the memorandum to the members of the Federal
Reserve Board,
Mr. Hamlin raised the question whether it was contemplated that
the
executive committee would communicate with the Governor of the Fedel:'411 Reserve Board before selling securities from the System account.
Gov-vrlior Harrison
replied that as a matter of practice the committee has
tilma„
J8 followed the
policy of keeping in close touch with the Governor

or

t.4( Board and that
no change in the direction of the committee's
"tivi+A
"
es had taken place without consulting the Governor.
Governor Eccles commented that he had been in n7most daily conta-ct
with Mr. Burgess, Secretary of the Federal Open Market Committee,
Eitid
C°°lidge, Under Secretary of the Treasury, in regard to the
Qover
4ment bond
market. He pointed out, however, that no change had
ttiken
Place in the total amount of securities held in the System
4ecc4nt si
--nce he became Governor of the Federal Reserve Board.
Pecier

After further discussion, Governor Eccles announced that the

el Reserve Board would meet at 2:30 p. m. this afternoon to conthe r
esolution adopted by the Federal Open Market Committee and
tilet at
31°C) P. m. the Board would be glad to meet again with the members
(/r the p
ederal Open Market Committee. He said that he had extended an
t4einerab-cli to the
Secretary of the Treasury to meet with the Board and
ers Of the Federal Open Market Committee but that Mr. Morgenthau
lltlablgo.
0

do so because of other matters of importance which would




369
2/5/35
'recto.,
rils attention during the afternoon, and that Mr. Coolidge would
b
4180
e engaged in another meeting during the afternoon but would be
able to meet
with the Board and the members of the Federal Open Market
e°Z2raittee at
4:00 P. m.




Thereupon the meeting adjourned.