Preface to Fourth Edition
THE Companies Act, 1929, which consolidates the law relating
to companies in Great Britain and embraces the new
statutory requirements of the Companies Act of 1928, has
necessitated a new edition of the Institute Manual, the third
edition of which, prepared, as were the previous editions,
by Judge Shewell Cooper, was published in 1924.

The preparation of this fourth edition has been undertaken
on behalf of the Council by Mr. Lionel Leonard Cohen; K.C.

The complete recasting of the sections of the Consolidation
Act of 1908, which has been made in the statute of 1929,
has necessarily involved a good deal of revision. In addition,
the new law has entailed some rewriting of the text in the last
edition and the amplifying of certain other portions. Recent
legal decisions of importance have also been included.

A chapter has been added on Offers for Sale and kindred
matters, while the chapter on Audit has been expanded in
view of the new statutory requirements relating to balance
sheets, profit and loss accounts and audit. There is also a
new chapter dealing with the position of foreign companies
(i.e. companies incorporated outside Great Britain) establish-
ing a place of business in this country.

The special features of the earlier editions have been
retained and in addition to the text of the Companies Act,
1929, there is included among the appendices, the Companies
(Forms) Order, 1929, and extracts from the Companies
'Winding-up) Rules 1929 relating to Voluntary Winding-up.

The Model Forms in current use in company practice have
been extended and revised.

The summarised particulars of statutes regulating com-
panies in Canada, South Africa, Australasia and India have
been amplified considerably by detailing the main differences
detween the law operating in those countries and in Great
Britain.

I'he Council and its “Secretarial Practice” Committee
acknowledge their indebtedness and extend their thanks to
Mr. Lionel L. Cohen, K.C., as well as to Mr. Harry M. Cohen, of
Messrs. Linklaters and Paines (the Institute's solicitors). They
are also indebted to Mr. T. D. D. Divine of Lincoln’s Inn for
his assistance in seeing the book through the press and
preparing the general index and the index of cases.

W TARKER,
President.
W. hk. STENTIFORD,
Chairman. * Secretarial Practice’ Cowiitlen
[HE HALL OF THE INSTITUTE,
LoNpoN WaLL, LoNDoN
July, 1030.