Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 60 Part 1.djvu/438

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60 STAT.] 79TH CONG. , 2D SESS.- CH. 532-JULY 1, 1946 proceeding shall also be filed with the petition, and such record owners or holders of title shall be notified in the manner provided in this section for creditors and be entitled to hearing by the court upon reasonable application therefor. "The 'plan of composition', within the meaning of this chapter, may include provisions modifying or altering the rights of creditors gen- erally, or of any class of them, secured or unsecured, either through issuance of new securities of any character, or otherwise, and may contain such other provisions and agreements not inconsistent with this chapter as the parties may desire. "No creditor shall be deemed to be affected by any plan of com- position unless the same shall affect his interest materially, and in case any controversy shall arise as to whether any creditor or class of cred- itors shall or shall not be affected, the issue shall be determined by the judge, after hearing, upon notice to the parties interested. "For all purposes of this chapter any creditor may act in person or by an attorney or a duly authorized agent or committee. Where any committee, organization, group, or individual shall assume to act for or on behalf of creditors, such committee, organization, group, or indi- vidual shall first file with the court in which the proceeding is pending a list of the creditors represented by such committee, organization, group, or individual, giving the name and address of each such credi- tor, together with a statement of the amount, class, and character of the security held by him, and attach thereto copies of the instrument or instruments in writing signed by the owners of the bonds showing their authority, and shall file with the list a copy of the contract or agreement entered into between such committee, organization, group, or individual and the creditors represented by it or them, which con- tract shall disclose all compensation to be received, directly or indi- rectly, by such committee, organization, group, or individual, which agreed compensation shall be subject to modification and approval by the court. "(b) Upon approving the petition as properly filed, or at any time thereafter, the judge shall enter an order fixing a time and place for a hearing on the petition, which shall be held within ninety days from the date of said order, and shall provide in the order that notice shall be given to creditors of the filing of the petition and its approval as being properly filed, and of the time and place for the hearing. The judge shall prescribe the form of the notice, which shall specify the manner in which claims and interests of creditors shall be filed or evidenced, on or before the date fixed for the hearing. The notice shall be published at least once a week for three successive weeks in at least one newspaper of general circulation published within the jurisdiction of the court, and in such other paper or papers having a general circulation among bond dealers and bondholders as may be designated by the court, and the judge may require that it may be published in such other publication as he may deem proper. The judge shall require that a copy of the notice be mailed, postage prepaid, to each creditor of the petitioner named in the petition at the address of such creditor given in the petition, or, if no address is given in the petition for any creditor and the address of such creditor cannot with reasonable diligence be ascertained, then a copy of the notice shall be mailed, postage prepaid, to such creditor addressed to him as the judge may prescribe. All expense of giving notice as herein provided shall be paid by the petitioner. The notice shall be first published, and the mailing of copies thereof shall be completed, at least sixty days before the date fixed for the hearing. 411 "Plan of composi- tion." Creditors deemed to be affected, etc. Representation of creditor. Hearing on petition. Notice to creditors.