obtain enactment by the 80th Congress, 1st Sess. In the Second Session by P.L. No. 495, approved April 21, 1948, 62 Stat. 198, the time for filing petitions was extended to March 1, 1949. Prior to this last extending act, there was no limitation confining the petition to the district of the petitioner's residence.

(d) After the filing of such petition or answer by the farmer, the farmer shall, within such time and in such form as the rules provide, file an inventory of his estate.

(e) The conciliation commissioner shall promptly call the first meeting of creditors, stating in the notice that the farmer proposes to offer terms of composition or extension, and inclosing with the notice a summary of the inventory, a brief statement of the farmer's indebtedness as shown by the schedules, and a list of the names and addresses of the secured creditors and unsecured creditors with the amounts owing to each as shown by the schedules. At the first meeting of the creditors the farmer may be examined, and the creditors may appoint a committee to submit to the conciliation commissioner a supplementary inventory of the farmer's estate. The conciliation commissioner shall, after hearing the parties in interest, fix a reasonable time within which application for confirmation shall be made, and may later extend such time for cause shown. After the filing of the petition and prior to the confirmation or other disposition of the composition or extension proposal by the court, the court shall exercise such control over the property of the farmer as the court deems in the best interests of the farmer and his creditors.

(f) There shall be prepared by, or under the supervision of, the conciliation commissioner a final inventory of the farmer's estate, and in the preparation of such inventory the commissioner shall give due consideration to the inventory filed by the farmer and to any supplementary inventory filed by a committee of the creditors.

(d) (e) and (f) stand as enacted March 3, 1933.

(g) An application for the confirmation of a composition or extension proposal may be filed in the court of bankruptcy after, but not before, it has been accepted in writing, by a majority in number of all creditors whose claims have been allowed, including secured creditors whose claims are affected, which number shall represent a majority in amount of such claims.

As enacted March 3, 1933.

Section 75g(2) was deleted by the Act August 28, 1935, c. 792, sec. 2, 49 Stat. 942. That subdivision read: "(2) the money or security necessary to pay all debts which have priority unless waived, and in case of a composition, the consideration to be paid by the farmer to his creditors has been deposited in such place as shall be designated by and subject to the order of the court."

(h) A date and place, with reference to the convenience of the parties in interest, shall be fixed for a hearing upon each application for the confirmation of the composition or extension proposal and upon such objections as may be made to its confirmation.

(i) The court shall confirm the proposal if satisfied that (1) it includes an equitable and feasible method of liquidation for secured creditors and of financial rehabilitation for the farmer; (2) it is for the best interests of all creditors; and (3) the offer and its acceptance are in good faith, and have not been made or procured except as herein provided, or by any means, promises, or acts herein forbidden. In applications for extensions the court shall require proof from each creditor filing a claim that such claim is free from usury as defined by the laws of the place where the debt is contracted.

(j) The terms of a composition or extension proposal may extend the time of payment of either secured or unsecured debts, or both, and may provide for priority of payments to be made during the period of extension as between secured and unsecured creditors. It may also include specific undertakings by the farmer during the period of the extension, including provisions for payments on account, and may provide for supervisory or other control by the conciliation commissioner over the farmer's affairs during such period, and for the termination of such period of supervision or control under conditions specified: Provided, That the provisions of this section shall not affect the allowances and exemptions to debtors as are provided for bankrupts under title 11, chapter 3, section 24, of the United States Code, and such allowances and exemptions shall be set aside for the use of the debtor in the manner provided for bankrupts.

(k) Upon its confirmation a composition or extension proposal shall be binding upon the farmer and his secured and unsecured creditors affected thereby: Provided, however, That such extension and/or composition shall not reduce the amount of or impair the lien of any secured creditor below the fair and reasonable market value of the property securing any such lien at the time that the extension and/or composition is accepted, but nothing herein shall prevent the reduction of the future rate of interest on all debts of the debtor whether secured or unsecured.

The proviso in section 75k was changed by Act August 28, 1935, sec. 3, 49 Stat. 942. The original proviso read: "Provided, That such composition or extension shall not reduce the amount of nor impair the lien of any secured creditor, but shall affect only the time and method of its liquidation."

(1) Upon the confirmation of a composition the consideration shall be distributed under the supervision of the conciliation commissioner as the court shall direct, and the case dismissed: Provided, That the debts having priority of payment under title 11,

chapter 7, section 104, of the United States Code, for bankrupt estates, shall have priority of payment in the same order as set forth in said section 104 under the provisions of this section in any distribution, assignment, composition or settlement herein provided for. Upon the confirmation of an extension proposal the court may dismiss the proceeding or retain jurisdiction of the farmer and his property during the period of the extension in order to protect and preserve the estate and enforce through the conciliation commissioner the terms of the extension proposal. The court may, after hearing and for good cause shown, at any time during the period covered by an extension proposal that has been confirmed by the court, set the same aside, reinstate the case, and modify the terms of the extension proposal.

(m) The judge may, upon the application of any party in interest, file (sic), at any time within six months after the composition or extension proposal has been confirmed, set the same aside and reinstate the case, if it shall be made to appear upon a trial that fraud was practiced in the procuring of such composition or extension, and that knowledge thereof has come to the petitioners since the confirmation thereof.

(n) The filing of a petition or answer with the clerk of court, or leaving it with the conciliation commissioner for the purpose of forwarding same to the clerk of court, praying for relief under this section, shall immediately subject the farmer and all his property, wherever located, for all the purposes of this section, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the court, including all real or personal property, or any equity or right in any such property, including, among others, contracts for purchase, contracts for deed, or conditional sales contracts, the right or the equity of redemption where the period of redemption has not or had not expired, or where a deed of trust has been given as security, or where the sale has not or had not been confirmed, or where deed had not been delivered, at the time of filing the petition.

In all cases where, at the time of filing the petition, the period of redemption has not or had not expired, or where the right under a deed of trust has not or had not become absolute, or where the sale has not or had not been confirmed, or where deed had not been delivered, the period of redemption shall be extended or the confirmation of sale withheld for the period necessary for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this section. The words "period of redemption" wherever they occur in this section shall include any State moratorium, whether established by legislative enactment or executive proclamation, or where the period of redemption has been extended by a judicial decree. In proceedings under this section, except as otherwise provided herein, the jurisdiction and powers of the courts, the title, powers, and duties of its officers, the duties of the farmer, and the rights and

liabilities of creditors, and of all persons with respect to the property of the farmer and the jurisdiction of the appellate courts, shall be the same as if a voluntary petition for adjudication had been filed and a decree of adjudication had been entered on the day when the farmer's petition, asking to be adjudged a bankrupt, was filed with the clerk of court or left with the conciliation commissioner for the purpose of forwarding same to the clerk of court.

This subdivision was completely rewritten by the Act of August 28, 1935, § 4, 49 Stat. 942. The subdivision originally read: "n. The filing of a petition pleading for relief under this section shall subject the farmer and his property, wherever located, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the court. In proceedings under this section, except as otherwise provided herein, the jurisdiction and powers of the court, the title, powers, and duties of its officers, the duties of the farmer, and the rights and liabilities of creditors, and of all persons with respect to the property of the farmer and the jurisdiction of the appellate courts, shall be the same as if a voluntary petition for adjudication had been filed and a decree of adjudication had been entered on the day when the farmer's petition or answer was filed."

(0) Except upon petition made to and granted by the judge after hearing and report by the conciliation commissioner, the following proceedings shall not be instituted, or if instituted at any time prior to the filing of a petition under this section, shall not be maintained, in any court or otherwise, against the farmer or his property, at any time after the filing of the petition under this section, and prior to the confirmation or other disposition of the composition or extension proposal by the court:

(1) Proceedings for any demand, debt, or account, including any money demand;

(2) Proceedings for foreclosure of a mortgage on land, or for cancellation, rescission, or specific performance of an agreement for sale of land or for recovery of possession of land;

(3) Proceedings to acquire title to land by virtue of any tax sale;

(4) Proceedings by way of execution, attachment, or garnishment;

(5) Proceedings to sell land under or in satisfaction of any judgment or mechanic's lien; and

(6) Seizure, distress, sale, or other proceedings under an execution or under any lease, lien, chattel mortgage, conditional sale agreement, crop payment agreement, or mortgage.

(p) The prohibition of subsection (o) shall apply to all judicial or official proceedings in any court or under the direction of any official, and shall apply to all creditors, public or private, and to all of the debtor's property, wherever located. All such property shall be under the sole jurisdiction and control of the

119 court in bankruptcy, and subject to the payment of the debtor farmer's creditors, as provided for in this section.

The Act of August 28, 1935, § 5, reversed the effect of this subdivision, which originally read: "(p) The prohibitions of subdivision (o) shall not apply to proceedings for the collection of taxes, or interest or penalties with respect thereto, nor to proceedings affecting solely property other than that used in farming operations or comprising the home or household effects of the farmer or his family."

(q) A conciliation commissioner shall upon request assist any farmer in preparing and filing a petition under this section and in all matters subsequent thereto arising under this section and farmers shall not be required to be represented by an attorney in any proceeding under this section.

(r) For the purposes of this section and section 4 (b) the term 'farmer' includes not only an individual who is primarily bona fide personally engaged in producing products of the soil, but also any individual who is primarily bona fide personally engaged in dairy farming, the production of poultry or livestock, or the production of poultry products or livestock products in their unmanufactured state, or the principal part of whose income is derived from any one or more of the foregoing operations, and includes the personal representative of a deceased farmer; and a farmer shall be deemed a resident of any county in which such operations occur.

As Amended by Act of March 4, 1940, § 2, 54 Stat. 40, dropping reference to section 74, which had been repealed by the Chandler Act in 1938. See note to section 4b ante.

(s) Any farmer failing to obtain the acceptance of a majority in number and amount of all creditors whose claims are affected by a composition and/or extension proposal, or if he feels aggrieved by the composition and/or extension, may amend his petition or answer, asking to be adjudged a bankrupt. Such farmer may, at the same time, or at the time of the first hearing, petition the court that all of his property, wherever located, whether pledged, encumbered, or unencumbered, be appraised, and that his unencumbered exemptions, and unencumbered interest or equity in his exemptions, as prescribed by State law, be set aside to him, and that he be allowed to retain possession, under the supervision and control of the court, of any part or parcel or all of the remainder of his property, including his encumbered exemptions, under the terms and conditions set forth in this section. Upon such a request being made, the referee, under the jurisdiction of the court, shall designate and appoint appraisers, as provided for in this Act. Such appraisers shall appraise all of the property of the debtor, wherever located, at its then fair and reasonable market value. The appraisals shall be made in all other respects with rights of objections, exceptions, and appeals,

Bankruptcy Act Anno. 5th Ed.-9

§ 75(p)-(s)