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20S

A meeting of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
83%tem was

held in Washington on Saturday, June 13, 1942, at 11:45

adne

PRESENT:

Mr. Eccles, Chairman
Mr. McKee
Mr. Draper
Mr. Morrill, Secretary
Mr. Bethea, Assistant Secretary
Mr. Clayton, Assistant to the Chairman

The action stated with respect to each of the matters hereinreferred to was taken by the Board:
Memorandum dated June 12, 1942, from Mr. Nelson, Assistant
Secretary, recommending (1) that Dean E. Brundage and Carl J. Gellogg,
elevator

operators, be promoted to the position of page in the Secre-

t47's Office, with an increase in their salaries from ',1,200 to $1,260
13er'8411111-111, effective as of June 16, 1942, and (2) that James F. Bird
Ilcil)°nalci A. Hurst be appointed as elevator operators in the Secret47's °ffice on a temporary basis for an indefinite period, with sales at
the rate of P11200 per annum, effective as of the date upon
'
c they
enter upon the performance of their duties after having
1.`leecl
satisfactorily the usual physical examination.
Approved unanimously.
Mezorandum dated June 11, 1942, from Mr. Nelson, Assistant
..r.etar7
/ recommending (1) that Mrs. Grace Phillips be appointed as
it
tie

clerk in the Secretary's Office, with salary at the rate of
)000

Per

annum, effective as of the date upon which she enters upon
'
t4 Pe
rt°rmance of her duties after having passed satisfactorily the




6/13/42
-2481141 1047sical examination, and (2) that the following increases in
88.1611.es of employees in the files section of the Secretary's Office
be
approved, effective as of June 16, 1942:
IlAW&

Rggialation

tether G.
Crews
terrlice
O'Brien
iviar
margery.Ic, Haislip
D. maize
1,_
111elta E.
'
jel'Y U. 'Ward
Jacobs

Ll

File Clerk
File Clerk
File Clerk
File Clerk
File Clerk
Junior File Clerk

3-11-•gaZT—Inar-CS-§.-•e
To
From
$1,920
1,860
1,620
1,620
1,500
1,440

$2,040
2,040
1,740
1,740
1,620
1,560

Approved unanimously.
Letter to the board of directors of the "Tipton Farmers Bank",
on
'*--1-ssouril stating that, subject to conditions of membership
tliziber
ed 1 to 3 contained in the Board's Regulation H, the Board apProve_
a the
bank's application for membership in the Federal Reserve
ratea
4nd for the appropriate amount of stock in the Federal Reserve
tklac
°f St. Louis.
Approved unanimously, for transmission through the Federal Reserve Bank of
St. Louis.
Letter
Itt4t eo.11

to the board of directors of the "Seguin State Bank &

Seguin, Texas, stating that, subject to conditions of mem,

ehip
11041,4

uumbered 1 to 6 contained in the Board's Regulation H, the

‘4 eilProves
the bank's application for membership in the Federal
44aripe s
Ystem and for the appropriate amount of stock in the Federal
4rve ma...Ink of
Dallas.




1210
6/13/42

-3The letter also contained the following special comment:

"It is understood that the bank is to discontinue
handling trust business until a sufficient volume is availto justify the expense of installing the necessary
records but
that it has some potentially profitable business which may be acquired later and the management wants
"e bank admitted to membership on the same basis as banks
:
xercising fiduciary powers so that it will be in position
Z? accept new accounts at any time. The examiner expresses
;41? opinion in this connection that the bank has the facilI
ttles and that the management is qualified to conduct a
heust department satisfactorily. In the circumstances,
fore, and with the understanding that, when it is de)
l'-.1ded to accept trusts again, steps will be taken by the
tall to provide the necessary organization and equipment
Insure efficient administration of the accounts, the
,c)ard has prescribed the standard trust conditions which
;re.prescribed for aJ1 banks coming into membership and exAreleing fiduciary powers, and it will not be necessary un;er the provisions of condition of membership numbered 1
or the
bank to obtain the Board's permission to accept new
rUSt business.
certain powers
whi"It appears that the bank possesses
re el.1 are not being exercised and which are not necessarily
u red in the conduct of a banking and trust business,
811clul
sue" as the powers to guarantee securities and to act as
firrletY. Attention is invited to the fact that, except for
to exercise any powers
not elarY powers, if the bank desires
actually exercised at the timeof admission to member1713
'it will be necessary under condition numbered 1 to
013.
sl.' 1/1 the permission of the Board of Governors before exthem. In this connection the Board understands
p01,
11 there has been no expansion in the scope of the cora ate powers exercised by the bank since the date of Its
PPlication for membership."

e
1

.
Approved unanimously, for transmission through the Federal Reserve Bank of
Dallas.
Memorandum dated June 9, 1942, from Mr. Goldenweiser, Director
"the D.
lvision of Research and Statistics, reading as follows:




6113/42

—4—

"We have received the attached request from the Divi8i°n of Civilian Supply of the War Production Board that
we now collect monthly statistics of department store iniNrentories by departments instead of the quarterly statistics
°egun last October at that Division's request. These data
are currently needed by the War Production Board and the
uffice of Price Administration for the determination of
Paicies in connection with control of inventories and
raktIoning of goods for civilian use. Under the circum!Lances it seems desirable that we obtain this additional
i
rformation
for the present, and there are attached, for
°ard approval, letters to Mr. Henderson of the Office of
,
;rice Administration, Mr. Weiner of the War Production
c°ard, and the Federal Reserve Banks explaining the proedure that we propose to follow.
"'We have consulted with representatives of the War
Pr
oduction Board and the Office of Price Administration,
ere the data are likewise used extensively, and have
entatively agreed upon the program which is set forth
ln the
attached letters.
"It is likely that the extension of this service,
t°gether with others recently inaugurated,
require
4
e Pansicn in personnel at some of the Banks. In view
e„the importance of the information, such additional
:Penditure would seem justifiable. In this connection
"Ur attention is called to the last paragraph of the
Pl'oPosed letter to the Federal Reserve Banks."

n

Approved unanimously. The letter
to the Presidents of all the Federal Reserve Banks, which it was proposed would
be sent after approval of the suggested
Procedure by Mr. Leon Henderson, Administrator of the Office of Price Administration, and Mr. Joseph Weiner, Deputy
Director of the Division of Civilian
Supply of the War Production Board, was
in the following form:
".The War Production Board and the Office of Price
trtration have indicated a need for monthly informap;'n.regarding department store stocks by departments. To
o
thevicie
such information, the Board has been asked to change
bas.Present reporting system from a quarterly to a monthly
thel!' We should like to aid these agencies in obtaining
uesired information. It is contemplated that the




-5n
collection of monthly data would begin with sales during
June and stocks as of June 30. Instructions relative to
the collection of monthly data and the transmittal of rePorts to the Board are attached.
"'Members of the Board's Division of Research and Sta!
istics have met with representatives of the interested
ar agencies
and have discussed with them the need for such
ts7,'tistics, their use, and the best methods of obtaining
,usra. These agencies have the authority, as a matter of
:aw, to require such reports as they may need in the perof their duties. They agree, however, with our
view that it is preferable to make use of the arrangements
l
isreadY established by the Reserve Banks for collecting
'
acree data and believe that information thus obtained will
tl,equately serve their present purposes. Collection of
"e data through the Reserve System would afford the re.
1°1ting stores an opportunity to continue making their
c!Ports on a voluntary basis and through the familiar
t annsls of an agency that has had long experience with
i"s Problems of gathering and interpreting this kind of
trcrmation. All leading department stores should report
se data and it is believed that if this situation is
Properly
understood full cooperation will be obtained.
"As in the past, it is contemplated that the informas,'T will be made available outside the System only in
'
s'
ten form as will not disclose the figures for individual
1.11"sa, and the System will not be called upon to engage
st anY policing activities on the basis of the department
re inventory reports. The purpose of the monthly fig:18 to provide responsible war agencies--particularly
tho
witcls concerned with civilian supply and price controls-fa_ Illore current and detailed information for use in the
ailueulation and administration of policies for which those
ciss will be fully responsible. If, in the future,
therlir,
matt
:
sed for individual store reports arises, the entire
psde-r Nill be reconsidered, particularly the question of
Reserve participation in such a collection system.
ti8ti In view of personnel losses and the increase in station cal work at the Reserve Banks because of war condi'
s it may well be that clerical and perhaps other addiIna
'
.
!S to the
Banks' statistical staffs will be necessary.
asel7uch as this and
other recently inaugurated projects
to inessential at this time, provision should be made
effij
ure that they are carried out as promptly and as
Ye111ft 4-entlY
as
budget for
statism _ possible. If increases in the
_Leal. and analytical department are necessary,

Z

1




I2I
6/13/42

—6--

"We shall be glad to consider them as soon as they are

submitted.
"Future correspondence relating to this inquiry should
be addressed to the Division of Research and Statistics."
Letter prepared for the signature of Chairman Eccles to Honorable

110bert

P. Patterson, Under Secretary of War, reading as follows:
"I received this morning your letter of June 12,
c nfirming our telephone talk of yesterday, concerning
the space
now occupied by the Inter-American Defense
aboard.
17
'We are agreeable, as you say, to leave it to the
4," Department to decide whether the space assigned to
Inter-American Defense Board is used by the joint
l-United States Defense Commission and we have
iglieed that notwithstanding the expiration of the origtlf Period of two months they may occupy the space unab the end of June, but the northwest wing, containing
th°11t 5600 square feet, is to be vacated not later than
e first of July as we are in need of it for other pureoses,
.
This will leave the area in the northeast wing,
,t
,
,
c111eisting
of about 5300 square feet now occupied by the
r;el
'
\-American Defense Board, (Including the conference
Bon for the use of either the Inter-American Defense
si-ru or the Joint Brazil-United States Defense Commisthcl
aZ) or both, as the War Department may decide, until
cou. space is needed for our work, of which we will of
re: give reasonable notice.
ove_ This is the understanding that you and I reached
the telephone yesterday."
Approved unanimously.
Letter

ae

to the Presidents of n31 the Federal Reserve Banks, read-

follows:
cod "There is
enclosed a copy of 'Air Raid Protection
14:for Federal Buildings and their Contents Par!, II :
ansmitting the Code the Commissioner of Public Buildti
-on referred to Section 602 providing for the designa.a4ci °f a Defense Coordinator for a building or a project
deajequested that the superintendent or custodian be
tecifneted as Defense Coordinator. In addition, the 1:7ve Construction Unit of the Public Buildings Administratio
n has
advised the Board that it is developing an




1 214

6/13/42

-7-

"inventory of Federally-owned buildings and leased quarters
in connection with the safeguarding, from subversive hostile
acts and overt acts of aggression, of public buildings and
Property as required by Public Law 528, 77th Congress, approved April 28, 1942.
"It is noted that Section 103 of the enclosed Code
Provides that it shall apply to all buildings or parts of
owned, leased, or occupied by the Federal Govent or by any of its agencies, together with the conente of such buildings. In this connection the Board
110te the Commissioner of Public Buildings on December
1941, that the Federal Reserve Banks and Branches per'2rm
4.
a large variety of fiscal agency, custodianship, and
ositary operations for the United States Treasury and
her
departments and agencies of the Government. As in,
ated in previous letters, the Public Buildings Adminisb,°n appears willing to extend its services to the
-.
:1-dings owned and occupied by the Board and by the Federal
Reserve Banks, and the Board believes that the Fed/C.1 Reserve System should cooperate in activities of the
of lie Buildings Administration with regard to protection
b_ Public buildings
and property. Accordingly, it will
_7_4Ppreciated if you will furnish the Board with the name
coLl_la
address of a Defense Coordinator for each building
ined or leased by your Bank and utilized partly or wholly
p%?onnection with fiscal agency, custodianship, and dei
operations, Also, please have the enclosed questoavtinaire form or forms filled out and returned to the
taliV at your early convenience. We shall be glad to obit a additional copies of the 'Air Raid Protection Code'
,tesiredin

J

;
f

1

tr




Approved unanimously.
Thereupon the meeting adjourned.

Chairman.