MONTHLY~F REVIEW AGRICULTURAL AND BUSINESS CONDITIONS IN THE NINTH FEDERAL RESERVE DISTRICT ~ Serial l vP~. ~No. 8031 Federal Reserve Bas~tk, Mintleapolis, 1Vlin~n. March 28, 1940 Business volumes in country sections in February last year. The percentage of increase was 21, the equalled those of .January but were a little smaller in largest gain in our 6 year records for this group of larger cities. Country member bank deposits reached stores, even when adjusted for the additional day in the higlxest level in recent years, Member bank re- February this year. As shown in the accompanying serve accounts rose to highest total on retard. Farm- table, all of the sections of the district reported a ers' cash income declined seasonally but farm prices much larger volume of sales in February, the were steady. smallest increase being 9 Jn in western South Da- BUSINESS kota, Combining January and February sales at the The volume of business in this district in February 415 country stores from which reports have been re- was a little lower than in December and January ac- ceived, the 1940 total was one-sixth larger than in cording to our seasonally adjusted indexes but was the same Z months last year . City department stare the largest for the month since i 931 . In February, sales were also well above the February 1939 total business volume in the country sections of the dis- even when the extra day is taken into Consideration trict continued to be a little better than in the larger and the total for the first 2 months of the year was cities. The index of bank debits at farming centers 1 Q f'oc above sales in the same 2 months last year. remained at 1 D3, the highest paint since the middle of f 9 3 D ; the country check clearings index remained Sales at Department Stores at ! 7Q, the highest point in our 20 year records ; No. of Yn Feh. L94d o~ 1940 and the index of country lumber sales was at the Stares of Feh. 1939 of I939 Mpls., highest level far Febxuary since i 93D. Qur carload- St. Paul, Duluth-Superior . 18 f 12 I i 0 Country Stores . , . , . . , 41 12 ing indexes were Goth lower than in January but 5 I 1 1 7 Minnesota . , . . , f 46 124 120 were higher than in Februaxy in the two preceding Central PJIinnesota . , . , . , 27 125 121 years. Northeastern Minnesota , . , , ~ 6 1 17 120 Red River Valley Minnesota . I1 147 136 Northwestern Business Indexes South Central Minnesota . , , 35 (1929-1931-1flU) 1 18 1 1 5 Feh. Jan. Feb . Feh . 5outheaetern Minnesota . 19 116 I10 1940 I94Q 1939 1938 Southwestern Minnesota . 38 135 127 Bank debits-94 cities . , , . , . 95 97 83 84 Montana . ., . ., . , ., . 3b 114 ill $ank da6its-farming centers . , f 03 103 87 88 Mountain . , , . , 12 f f 5 1 16 Country check clearings. 1 70 t 70 140 14b Plains ., . ., ., ., 34 1!3 108 City department store sales, . 97 102 87 89 North Dakota . , . 7fi 144 128 City department store stocks, , . 88 86 81 80 North Centra] .1Varth Dakota . , f 3 130 125 Country department store sales . 1 13 f I b 95 95 I\~orthwestern North Dakota . , . 12 f 62 141 Country lum~er sales . , . , . 1 28 129 I 1 7 1 03 Red River Valley North Dakota . 24 f 33 f 24 Miscellaneous carloadings . 88 48 81 74 Southeastern North Dakota . 22 137 124 3'otaf carIvadings [ercl. miscellaneous] 70 72 64 b5 Southwestern North Dakota . , 5 190 152 Employment-Minn. [is3a-lo(3] 99 100 96 94 Rcd River Valley-1Vlinn. & N. D. 35 f 36 127 farm Prices-Minn. fL924-29=10G1 fig fig 70 77 South Dakota . , . , . , , 82 121 1 15 Southeastern 5auth~ Dakota . , . 1 6 f 19 1 12 Total tanstruction in the district decreased further Cthar Eastern ~~uth Dakota, . , 53 f 24 1 f 7 in February to the lowest level since January 1935 Western South Dakota . , . , 13 109 3p4 despite the largest February volume of residential Wisconsin and Michigan . , . 75 115 1 14 Northern Wisconsin contracts in tlxirteen years. There were also increases & Michigan 4 f 3 1 6 f 16 West Central Wisconsin . 34 1 fS 113 in contracts far commercial and industrial building Total District . _ , 433 1 I b l 13 and for several of the public and semi-public classes of construction but because of an almost complete Retailers' collections on accounts and notes re- cessation of public works and utility construction, ceivable in Februaxy at 39 stores were somewhat the total for the district declined . Contracts for pub- better than usual but receivables continued tv be lic utility construction totalled nearly a million dol- larger than on the same date one year earlier. lars in January, but amounted to only $fib thousand Wholesalers' tollettians on outstandings were better in February . Building permits issued by 43 cities in Februaxy than in January and were above last and towns were in larger volume than in February year. Reflecting the increased sales volume of whole- 1939, resultinn in a total fax the 71 reporting cities salers, accounts and notes receivable also increased and towns that was nearly twice as large as a year and were larger than a year ago. ago. Increases were reported for each of the states City department store storks increased more than and part states in the district with the exception of seasonally during February to the largest total at the upper peninsula of Michigan . the end of Febxuary since 1931 . Country depart- Department store sales in February at country ment store stocks also increased in February but by points were sharply higher than in the same month a mare moderate amount . Wholesalers' inventories 224 AGRICULTURAL AND BUSINESS CONDITIONS Ma~Gh xa, i4ao incxeased slightly during Febxuary and on March 1 BANKING were 1 ~l °fa higher than on that date in 1939. Country member bank deposits increased to the Warranty deeds recorded in Hennepin and Rarn- highest point in recent years in February as a result sey Counties increased sharply in February to the of sharp increases in both gross demand and time largest total since 1927 . Real estate mortgages, vn deposits. There was no change in earning assets dur- the other hand, declined seasonally but were the ing the month, however, the increased funds being largest For the month since 1931 . Mortgages ac- left with city correspondents yr with us. Country cep'ted for FHA insurance in our Four states in Jan- member bank reserve balances rose to more than uary declined seasonally but were the largest far $55 million for the first time since June 1937. Ex- that month in our four year records. cess reserves rose to more than $23 million, the Business failures in February were half again as largest total in the last three years. Compared with large as in the preceding month both in number and the latter half of February 1939, gross demand and amount, and liabilities were twice as large as in the time deposits were up $32 and $8 million respec- same month last year. Non-farm real estate fore- tively but earning assets had been incxeased only $g closures in January were seasonally smaller than in million, the balance of the increase having been left the preceding month but were larger than in January an deposit with other banks, about one-third having 1934 as a result of substantial increases in both Min- been added tv reserve accounts at the Federal. nesota and Naxth Dakota. City member hank deposits incxeased in February, than off- Tlxe volume of production in our district as shown the larger volume of public funds more balances. by several unadjusted indicators continued at a rel- setting the decline in privately owned atively high rate in Febxuary, While flour shipments Loans receded slightly in February but holdings of were a Tittle lower than in February last year, flour Treasury bills and other government obligations in- production was somewhat larger. Shipments of lin- creased $32 million, resulting in sharp declines in seed products were two and one-half times as large balances with correspondent banks and a smaller and the largest for the month since 1929. Slaughter- decrease in balances with us, During the first half ings of cattle approximated the volume of the pre- of March, loans increased about $2 million but in- ceding month and were a Little larger than in Feb- vestments dropped $33 million, there being a net de- ruary last year. Hag slaughter was only three-Fourths cline of that amount in government and government as large as in the longer month of January but was guaranteed obligations. Reserve balances with us nearly double that of February 1939. Slaughters of which had declined steadily since the end of last sheep and lambs and of calves were smaller than in year were increased sharply by the sale of $29 mil- the same month last year. The cut of lumber was lion Treasury bills to banks outside of the district, nearly as large in February as in January and was increasing excess reserves tv nearly $4$ million, the one-third larger than in February last year. Ship- highest total on record. ments of forest products were about as large as in Fills discounted by this bank decreased sharply the preceding month, were more than half again as between the middle of February and the middle of large as in February last year and were the largest March, at which time they totalled only $69 thou- for February since 1931 . Mine production of cop- sand.