Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 52.djvu/899

 PUBLIC LAWS-CH. 575-JUNE 22, 1938 examination of persons as witnesses and for requiring the produc- tion of documents in proceedings before them, except the power of commitment; (3) exercise the powers of the judge for the taking possession and releasing of the property of the bankrupt in the event of the issuance by the clerk of a certificate showing the absence of a judge from the judicial district, or the division of the dis- trict, or showing his sickness or inability to act; (4) grant, deny, or revoke discharges; (5) confirm or refuse to confirm arrange- ments or wage-earner plans, or set aside the confirmation of arrange- ments or wage-earner plans and reinstate the proceedings or cases; (6) perform such of the duties as are by this Act conferred on courts of bankruptcy, including those incidental to ancillary juris- diction, and as shall be prescribed by rules or orders of the courts of bankruptcy of their respective districts, except as herein other- wise provided; and (7) during the examination of the bankrupt, or during other proceedings, authorize the employment of stenogra- phers for reporting and transcribing proceedings at such reasonable Dutiesofrerees. expense to the estate as the court may fix. Duties ofreres Sc. 39. DUTrIE OF REFREEms.- a. Referees shall (1) give notice to creditors and other parties in interest, as provided in this Act; (2) prepare and file the schedules of property and lists of creditors required to be filed by the bankrupts or cause the same to be done when the bankrupts fail, refuse, or neglect to do so; (3) examine all schedules of property, lists of creditors, and statements of affairs, filed as provided under this Act, and cause such as are incomplete and defective to be amended; (4) furnish or cause to be furnished such information concerning proceedings before them as may be requested by parties in interest; (5) declare dividends and cause to be prepared dividend sheets showing the dividends declared and to whom payable; (6) transmit to the clerks such papers as may be on file before them whenever the same are needed in any proceedings in courts and secure the return of such papers after they have been used, or, if it be impractical to transmit the original papers, transmit certified copies thereof by mail; (7) upon appli- cation of any party in interest, preserve the evidence taken, or the substance thereof as agreed upon by the parties before them when a stenographer is not in attendance; (8) prepare promptly and transmit to the clerks certificates on petitions for review of orders made by them, together with a statement of the questions presented, the findings and orders thereon, the petition for review, a transcript of the evidence or a summary thereof, and all exhibits- (9) transmit forthwith to the clerks all bonds filed with and approved by them, the originals of all orders made by them grant- ing adjudications or dismissing the petitions as provided in this Act, and certified copies of all orders made and entered by them, granting, denying, or revoking discharges, or confirming or refusing to confirm arrangements or plans or setting aside the confirmation of arrangements or wage-earner plans and reinstating the pro- ceedings or cases, and reports of the completion thereof; and (10) safely keep, perfect, and transmit to the clerks, when the cases are concluded, the records herein required to be kept by them. Acts prohibited. "b Referees shall not (1) act in cases in which they are directly or indirectly interested; (2) practice as attorneys and counselors at law in any proceeding under this Act; or (3) purchase, directly or indi- Petition or rw rectly, any property of an estate in any proceeding under this Act b person aggrieved c. A person aggrieved by an order of a referee may, within ten y order. days after the entry thereof or within such extended time as the court may for cause shown allow, file with the referee a petition for review of such order by a judge and serve a copy of such petition upon the 858 [52 STAT.

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