Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 53 Part 1.djvu/626

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APPENDIX ARTICO V-PROCEDINGS SUBSEQUENT TO FILING OF PETITION SEC. 331. The judge may refer the proceeding to a referee. SEC. 332 . The court may, upon the application of any party in interest, appoint, if necessary, a receiver of the property of the debtor, or, if a trustee in bank- ruptcy has previously been appointed, shall continue such trustee in possession. SEC. 333 . The court may, upon the application of the receiver, trustee, or any party in interest, appoint, if not previously appointed, one or more appraisers who shall prepare and file under oath an inventory and appraisal of the prop- erty of the debtor, and may prescribe how such inventory and appraisal shall be made. SEC. 334 . The court shall promptly call a meeting of creditors, upon at least ten days' notice by mail to the debtor, the creditors, and other parties in interest. SEC. 335. The notice of such meeting of creditors shall be accompanied by a copy of the proposed arrangement, a summary of the liabilities as shown by the schedules and a summary of the appraisal, if one has been made, or, if not made, a summary of the assets as shown by the schedules. Such notice may also name the time for the filing of the application to confirm the arrangement and the time for the hearing of the confirmation and of such objections as may be made to the confirmation. SEC. 336 . At such meeting, or at any adjournment thereof, the judge or referee- (1) shall preside; (2) may receive proofs of claim and allow or disallow them; (3) shall examine the debtor or cause him to be examined and hear witnesses on any matter relevant to the proceeding; and (4) shall receive and determine the written acceptances of creditors on the proposed arrangement, which acceptances may be obtained by the debtor before or after the filing of a petition under this chapter. Sac. 337. At such meeting, or at any adjournment thereof, the judge or referee shall, after the acceptance of the arrangement- (1) appoint the receiver or trustee, if any, or otherwise appoint some other person, to receive and distribute, subject to the control of the court, the moneys and consideration, if any, to be deposited by the debtor; require such person to give bond with surety to be approved by the court in such amount as the court shall fix; and fix the amount or rate of such person's compensation, not in excess of the compensation allowable to a receiver under this Act; (2) fix a time within which the debtor shall deposit, in such place as shall be designated by and subject to the order of the court, the consideration, if any, to be distributed to the creditors, the money necessary to pay all debts which have priority, unless such priority creditors shall have waived their claims or such deposit, or consented in writing to any provision of the arrangement for otherwise dealing with such claims, and the money necessary to pay the costs and expenses of the proceedings and the actual and necessary expenses incurred in connection with the proceedings and the arrangement by the committee of creditors and the attorneys or agents of such committee, in such amount as the court may allow; and (3) fix a time for the filing of the application to confirm the arrangement and for a hearing on the confirmation thereof or any objections to the confirmation, unless such times have already been named in the notice of the meeting or unless all creditors affected by the arrangement have accepted it. SEC. 338 . At such meeting the creditors may appoint a committee, if none has previously been appointed under this Act, and, if a trustee has not previously been appointed, may nominate a trustee who shall thereafter be appointed by the court in case it shall become necessary to administer the estate in bank- ruptcy as provided under this chapter. ARTICLE VI-ITLE BIGHTS , DUTIES, AND POWES OF DEBTOR AND OFFICES SE. 341 . Where not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter, the powers and duties of the officers of the court and, subject to the approval of the court, their fees, and the rights, privileges, and duties of the debtor shall be the same, where a petition is filed under section 321 of this Act and a decree of adjudication has not been entered in the pending bankruptcy proceeding, as if a decree of adjudication had been entered in such bankruptcy proceeding at the time the peti- tion under this chapter was filed, or, where a petition is filed under section 322 of this Act, as if a voluntary petition for adjudication in bankruptcy had been filed and a decree of adjudication had been entered at the time the petition under this chapter was filed. Sea. 342 . Where no receiver or trustee is appointed, the debtor shall continue in possession of his propetry' and shall have all the title and exercise all the powers of a trustee appointed under this Act, subject, however, at all times to the control of the court and to such limitations, restrictions, terms, and conditions as the court may from time to time prescribe. 1 So in original. CXXI