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k llinutes of actions talz,,n by the Board of Governors of the Pe 11serve System on Thursday, November 30, 1950. PRESENT: Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. hicCabe, Chairman Szymczak Evans Vardaman Norton Mr. Carpenter, Secretary Mr. Sherman, Assistant Secretary Mr. Kenyon, Assistant Secretary lanutes of the meeting of the Board of Governors of the ?edel'al 1 eser-7e System with the Presidents of the Federal Reserve 1141/C8 heid on Novern 1950, were approved unanimously. 29,ber 'lnutes Peri, 4" rteGerve f actions taken by the Board of Governors of the System on November 29, 1950, 4ere approved unani- „ tot of, 1:er:1°randum dated November 29, 1950, from Ya-.. Dethea, arec- the bivison of Administrative Services, recommendin the al trItrilent Of John Henry Battle as a laborer in that Division on ter̀iPc)rari, rate basIs for a period of two months, with basic salary at of e/Iters Upon the Us 2,12O per annum, effective as of the date upon which the performance of his duties after having passeçl PhYsical Nr& Of exallination. 4pproved unanimously. Let ter to Mr. Kimball, Vice President of the Federal Reserve iork, reading as follo7fs: 4elerence is made to ,,our letter of November 16 ,' j • which -0503 In you advised that it appears ex- 898 11/3o/50 -2-.1?ermes for certain functions at your head office 74111 exceed the 1950 budget estimates as follos: Amount Functions -,-----General Overhead .., 00,000 10,000 Securities 410,000 Federal Reserve note issues rai4.4. qte Board accepts the revised figures as subth'ed and aopropriate notations are being, made in C Beard's 'reco'rds." Approved unanimously. ?ederal Let a ter to Er. Symms, Vice President and Cashier of the eserve Bank of San Francisco, reading as follows: 195n "This refers to your letter of November 22, , regarding the question vthether a bank located the , aska or any Territory or possession outside cati -°ntinental United States may submit an appliap„1-. °11 for a V-loan guarantee and, if so, how such t-Q-cation should be submitted. thm. "The Defense Production Act of 1950 provides Its provisions 'shall be applicable to the the-ZI States, its Territories and possessions, and sect7-Lstriet of Columbia'; and there is nothing in 1016°n 301 of the Act or in Executive Order No. Of ,4* Jould seem to preclude the submission thelPlieations for guarantees by banks located in an -Lerritories or possessions. Consequently, ahere Ter lication is submitted by a bank located in a aect rY or insular possession, the provision of 3(a) of Regulation V to the effect that a '0 institution should submit its application be ," - e Federal Reserve Bank of its district' should Ilaw-c°11strued as referring to the Federal Reserve . tuti?hich is most convenient to the lending insttby Thus, an application for a V-loan guarantee thein Alaska aould ordinarily be submitted to Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco." Approved unanimously. 'ktw, LettCr to Honorable Victor Aickersham, House of Representatives, ' 4 4eton D. C., reading as follows: i499 11/30/50 —3x *4e appreciate the opportunity to comment 10,19_, 01 'ilade 4atsonis letter of November t;*ell refers to a letter which you had received rec : 111113, Presumably our letter of November 2, 1950, ll'arcling Regulation In view of the fact that ti * ris aatson says - II note that it is acknowledged t at theY violated the section of the law relative s° the hearing...t, it appears that he has misunder4 our previous letter, and we are especially gratefor the opportunity to clarify the matter. stated in our letter, the Board consulted 80 tY with trade representatives, including repre: reZtives of automobile dealers, before the original Was issued effective September 18, 1950, nd lu also took those vies fully into account in Zle_tien With both the original regulation and the 8'0-'4aent effective October 16, 1950, that .folloaed or ' T afterward. As further indicated in our letter menVvember 2, the issuance of the October 16 amendaccordwithout further consultation was in complete ortcl. e with all requirements of law. 'On August 10, 1950, Senator Sparkman gave a Proci ' l explanation of the provisions of the Defense quoj etion Act regarding consultation, and we are Recordin it belo:c from page 12378 of the Congressional , because it is of particular interest here: PractiThparticulare bill would require consultation aherever lylier able. Of course, there will be some occasions vari,: It wauld not be appropriate to consult in adsolli-`;! There may not be time, when speed is vital. 4.111 "Civing advance notice of a proposed re8trn1 or ,-' :- 10/1 would defeat the purpose of the restriction, th:)11slating a few people in an industry would give nfair advantage over the rest of the inIllsta 0 Z Approved unanimously. - Lett le. 3 p icai, er m Lor the signature of the Chairman to Mr. Edgar F. Frazer Corporation, Allo.a. Run, Michigan, reading ehank You for your letter of November 18, 1§50 rl have noted your Mrding Regulation 900 11/30/50 -4- : views on the effect of the regulation and your uggestion that the terms be relaxed. sale "The data you have submitted on production, !, and stocks have been helpful to us in rounding 0,7 ("he statistics available to us on current devel''' rlents in the automobile fieldo 811111 11'1°U appreciate, I am sure, that, although ievP-LY-demand conditions in markets for the specifc. regulated articles, including automobiles, have a 5: str 'tnite bearing on the appropriate level of re'ions in Regulation o these are not the sole ahich the Board must consider in carrying responsibility for administering the regula0011". The over-all purpose of the regulation, of dear .sel is to supplement other credit and fiscal measures 3-Cned to restrict general inflationary pressures and to f of itate the defense program. The serious dancer inflationary pressures in the defense emergency te1 : .11 e a primary consideration in establishing the 40f the regulation at this time. and assure you thatt, we alaays welcome information probisuggestions which throw additional light on the the l'‘,em and help us to administer this regulation in est interests of the country. Your views All reoj () +1,:ve careful consideration in our continuing studies vile regulation." Approved unanimously. kittee, Lett er to L:r. Mart :anley, Chairman, National Affairs Com- cull:11 Cleaner idanufacturers Association, 1070 East 152nd Str,,e t) pi "eland 10, Ohio, reading as folloJs: tlalulf"This refers to the request of Vacuum Cleaner turers Association for an amendment to RegILIE , (311 , 4/lich would provide that the required dom Payize°n vacuum cleaners could be obtained in the thcl Cash, trade-in, or both, as is now provided bY : Of a.;'' re gulation in the case of the instalment sale or t; TItomobile.lie appreciate receiving the copies guides for vacuum cleaners submitted with 01,;:et ber of November 20 and the opportunity vie had 1:leetings on November 4 and November 21 to dis11.sia--4, coll ,'"is problem with you and the members of your I 901 11/30/50 -5"There are basic reasons for the differences vreatment under Regulation ,U of trade-in allowallees in the case of automobiles and trade-in alloatres in the case of the other articles listed in ise3uPplement to Regulation Amonf7 others, there of, an active market for individual buyers and sellers ; e used automobiles :thich has been reflected in aidely ita(p:nized retail values for the different models and Reflecting this situation there are several a,:.4acati0n3 of average retail sales values of used irobiles by models and makes Jhich, as described and. art )4 of the Supplement to Regulation I can be are used to prevent widespread avoidance of the to TPaYruent provisions of the regulation as they apply zobiltensions of credit for the purchase of used autothe ree These appraisal guides are not used under r t gulation to establish the value of the trade-in Q new he amount of credit extended on the purchase of a tracif„ all&lobile. Also it has been traditional in the the ;',„;") r many years to permit the oamer to transfer 11e of his used car as a part of the purchase ' 0Of and down payment for a replacement automobile. raark,,This con4ition does not prevail in the appliance pric-L'. There is no established pattern or retail sale allt es for used appliances by models and makes. apObiles are traded after relatively short periods, for ees are usually held by the original purchaser /nark: Isiderably loner periods, and a used appliance as to which might result in definite price patterns .1 rnakes and models comparable to that for automobiles tOr -°es not exist. Normally, trade-in alloances aPPliances are more in the nature of a sales and are so regarded generally by the trade. ty, picc'J-nZ the differences in initial price and the Creat : 1 age at which they are first traded in, a much trade : 1 value is involved in the case of automobile view fls than in the case of appliance trade-ins. In trade , the difference in the amounts involved, the 1Lieti n rule that applies to appliances under the regaPplir iS substantially less restrictive in the case of eaao sales than it would be if prescribed in the I a utomobile sales. HThp a4t0111(11,4'' basic difference between the markets for used II4eth„-„'"Lles and those for used appliances, including the --4 cleaners is reflected in differences betaeel.l. s lieecial,11tornobile appraisal guides and the trade-in guides appliancP manufacturers. The latter are desi,, ? 1102 1113o/50 -6Iths determine the amount to be allowed for the used iance as a trade-in on the purchase of a new aplance. On the other hand, the retail values quoted tri h the automobile appraisal guides are estimated on ine basis of the actual sales value of the used car the retail market. "The Board has therefore decided against approving 7c)ur request at this time. It is recognized that • ?, administration of any such measure as Regulat 0' busit there are bound to be hardships to particular the —esses and individuals. Nhile it is likely that pur restraint on the continuous rapid expansion of 11asing Power imposed by present fiscal and credit pob. e,, lir;"es will result in readjustments all along the mad;'4.it would seem that once these readjustments are 0 a more sustainable level of expenditures and the ' eral.Present inflationary spiral is checked, the genhand Public and business will benefit. On the other ceedi if the inflationary spiral is not restrained exnati liglY serious consequences will accrue to the -cin as a whole.n r Approved unanimously. Lett Or to Honorable ;. ;illiam K. Divers, Chairman, Home Loan Nrik D. • 4Joar, as roil 101 Indiana Avenue, N. 'Arashington, D. C., reading °W5: var.; "Vie have had preliminary discussions with alicCus representatives of the Home Loan Bank Board rei' 31.ave also .. rritten to you about Regulation X nr, to residential real estate credit, and the enfo rcement of the Regulation. of ,° accomplish the purposes of the Regulation, ' ,•chiel,"T 1950- -Le authorized by the Defense Production Act arici Executive Order No. 10161, there must be an erre , thise'ive and uniform enforcement; and to realize grani °b Jeotive we have prepared an Enforcement Proa copy of which is attached hereto, which was N)nric,. c'tto the Home Loan Bank Board in our letter vle i°verriber 17, 1950. Concurrently with this letter Pedsent copies of the Enforcement Program to all eral supervisory agencies and the Federal Reserve I 903 11/30/50 -7The State supervisory authorities will be :qUested by the Federal Reserve Banks to cooperate J.n the Enforcement Program. of "The Board aould like to have the cooperation Agency in the enforcement of the Regulation • witYcurh respect to institutions under its supervision attaccordance aith the measures set forth in the hed Outline. It is hoped that your representat a,ves in the field will avail themselves of the assistwhich the Federal Reserve Banks can give them in the ti :Enforcement Program and also in respect to quesof°11s which occur in connection aith the administration the Regia:Urtion.. "It would be most helpful if each agency having Super t4 vision of lending institutions would make clear theT s examiners that the effective enforcement of mi ltegulation is a matter in which the agency has a do Isline interest, and the Board hopes that you aill °Ir n respect to your examiners. 110 _lie have had preliminary discussions with and fore written to other agencies with responsibilities 141. supervision of banks and other financial in: sti ,! kch-''°ns coming aithin the scope of the Regulation. gran agencies have concurred in the Enforcement Prond have given assurances of cooperation. interest ln theThe T? Board is appreciative of the great -egulation shown by your representatives, and of assurances of cooperation ahich your represen; tati be 0: res have given. If there is any way that JO may the;assistance to you in either the enforcement of its ':gulation or with respect to questions affecting nistration, we in be glad to cooperate with You.H Approved unanimously. Tratis Letter to Mr. J. G. Korner, Jr., Blair, Korner, Doyle a Appel, 13(1rtati Building, .gashinEton 6, D. C., reading as follows: 1950 "This refers to your letter of November 21, nd enclosure, inquiring ahether Regulation X, relaj to ti,lng to residential real estate credit, applies building or improvement of fraternity houses. Whieh t t is the Board's opinion that a structure ;::"3 used, serving or designed as a fraternity hollee - -LS 'used, servinr, or designed for d4ellincr, pur- I I 904 11/3°/50 I d P°BeSt; and, accordingly, if such structure ire not include more than two family units, it 2(ka''residence, within the meaning of section , ) it is recognized trthat th °f Regulation X. 04-1? rIlaY be exceptional cases in which, depending ho '"e facts involved, a fraternity micht not be a 'residence', it is the Board's ilo'lf.that the usual type of fraternity house does fo_Include more than two family units and, therevIon would be subject to the provisions of Regula- tio HIt should be noted, hoaever, that the reguladenn d°es not apply to credit with respect to resion which construction aas begun prior to : All tio— : n v 3/ 1950, although it does apply to major addithat : , °r major imoroveMents to residences built before melt `'ate if the Cost of such additions or improve3 exceeds beg,, ,i;2,500. In the case of construction thir: after August 3 and before October 12, 1950, re, ' „ egulation does not apply with respect to any - estate construction credit extended prior to 4 13 1951.11 Approved unanimously. Letter to Mr. Peyton, President of the Federal Reserve Bank ntleapo 4_ 1J-, reading as follows: Noire 7his refers to Lir. Strothman's letter of fli repr uer 24, 1950, concerning his discussions aith 1,41„-sentati1Tes of Northwest Bancorporation, sta, aP°1is, Minnesota, with respect to a form of alabai.fnt which might be used by that Corporation's th,t-ck-Lary banks for the purpose of demonstrating '41thicredit is not real estate construction credit 1;1„the meaning of Regulation X. !lative e have no objection to the use of the alterf°11 ' 1 of rubber stamp legend set forth in .. the frothmanrs letter as a method of complying a)ad vlrst paragraph of section 4(c) of Regulation , 11 may advise Northwest Bancorporation to this elWeZ tiori "In viea of the fact that Northwest BancorTaterthalso has subsidiary banks in the seventh ancopies Federal Reserve Districts, we are sending 1905 11/30/50 -9- "of idr. Federal Strothmants letter and this reply to the Federal Reserve Reserve Bank of Chicago and the Bank of Kansas City. It Approved unanimously. Telegrail' -- to the Presidents of all Federal Reserve Banks, rea'clirig as folio:is: : t 4 loan of the kind described in the second se be e of section c(b) of Regulation A cle ee--ed to comply with the requirements of that aZence in so far as maturity and amortization thncerned if the terms of repayment are such c°mmencinr on a date within 32 days from the t‘i,..°f completion of construction, the loan wa.11 -after confora With the maturity and amortizare quirements set forth in the Supplement to raar-,tion X. Thus, in a case where the 20-year tionili.r1tY limitation is applicable, the requireWill be satisfied if the terms of the loan 2h that, in the event construction is comp1ets11 7q for example, during the month of larch 1951, e) is to be fully repaid by equal monthly Apri.T4s commencinr, on May 1, 1951, and ending on tha47,t, 1971. The foregoing assumes, of course, t )-I ' Lle loan agreement provides that in any event Illat"."°an will be brought into conformity with Reg1°11 X not later than 18 months after it is made." Approved unanimously. Lettev to 1.1r. Gilbert Chairman of the Board of Trustees the aN Re'rement System of the Federal Reserve Banks, Federal Re' ellk of Dallas, reading as follows: 28, 1:71feronce is made to your letter of November TrIls,;'-AJ3 advising the Board of Governors that the of the Retirement System have voted to apP 0' tierit-r,`'Ile Plan outlined in the report of tho Retiredated September 8, 1950, for intothe -11.-; benefits of the Retirement System of 1906 4X1/50 -10- "the Federal Reserve Banks with those of the el.al Security Act, as amended. You request '.;)al! Ril Board to approve certain amendments to the te,:s2nd Regulations made necessary by the inat,-.?.w.on plan and other minor changes of a ar-LfYing nature. 'The Board approves the amendments to the ' 0 1 3 and Regulations as outlined in the enclosures " Your letter of November 28. c0.17 . 17he Board's feeling with respect to certain n --larY features of the integration plan was exrressed ln its letter to you dated October 26, 1950." Approved unanimously. 1:e morandum dated November 27, 1950, from Er. Betheal Director °fthe Di vision of Administrative Services, recommending that the 8°'41'dauthorize the removal of one tennis court from the Board's 134rkillE lot, torether :rith the resetting of the fence and the Pving Of thC, area involved, and that the appropriate classification ill tile budEet of the Division of Administrative Services be increased e°1Ter the cost, i.e.,i••) approximately Approved unanimously. 1 -J t1 norandum dated November 13, 1950 submitting for approval T)„ ‘ u of 0 , - 4 oudset in the amount of a01850 covering the estimated Pel ' atinc the Office of Real Estate Credit for the year end," Der 31, 1950, inclusive. Approved unanimously. AwiLAANNaght Secreta/j.