Chapter 9: The Federal Reserve Act

REFERENCES.

_Conway, Thomas, Jr._, The financial policy of the Federal reserve
banks. J. P. E., 22: 319-331. 1914.

_Federal Reserve Board_, The Federal Reserve Bulletin. Monthly.

*_Phillips_, ch. XXXI.

_Scott, W. A._, Banking reserves under the Federal Reserve Act. J.
P. E., 22: 332-344. 1914.

_White_, bk. III, ch. XXII and appendices D and E.

_Willis, H. P._, The Federal Reserve Act. A. E. Rev., 4: 1-24. 1914.

QUESTIONS.

1. Name and contrast the different kinds of banks in the United
States.

2. How are notes issued under the Federal Reserve Act?

3. If on a given date the surplus reserve (i.e., the reserve in excess
of the legal minimum reserve required by law to be held against
deposits) of the New York Associated Banks amounts to $11,000,000, and
the deposits on the same date amount to $1,164,000,000, what is the
total cash reserve held by the banks on said date? What would it have
been in 1912?

4. The "New York Times" of December 8, 1916, said:

"The rediscounting of commercial paper at the Federal Reserve Bank of
New York by some of the city's largest banks on Wednesday had the
effect yesterday of improving general money market conditions. Call
loans which were made at 15 per cent. on Monday, and as high as 10 per
cent. on Tuesday, and touched seven per cent. Wednesday, were placed
yesterday at from three to five per cent. Most of the loans were made
at four and one-half per cent., the renewal rate, and the closing
quotation was three per cent. Time money rates were easier."

Explain the process of rediscounting here referred to. In just what
way did the rediscounting operations relieve the call money market?
Do you consider that this use of the rediscounting facilities provided
by the Federal Reserve System was in accord with sound banking
principles? Was it the best possible use of the rediscounting
mechanism? For suggestions see the "New York Times" of December 5,
1916, under the heading "Financial Markets."