Orme Rice Co. v. Cortes Hermanos
Orme Rice Co. v. Cortes Hermanos
Opinion of the Court
delivered tbe following opinion:
Previously the court on motion of defendants directed that certain paragraphs relating to arbitration of the contract bo struck from the complaint. This was done after notice to the plaintiff, but Avhile his attorney ivas absent. Plaintiff’s attorney has asked that this be set aside so that he may have the right to be heard, and the matter now comes up on briefs by both sides.- The complaint filed November 22, 1920, counts in the first six paragraphs upon a contract between the plaintiff corporation of Louisiana and the defendant partnership of Porto Pico, being a contract of sale of certain rice, which defendants refused to accept upon arrival. The sixth to the tenth paragraphs, which were previously ordered struck out, relate to an agreed arbitration of the dispute before committees of the San Juan Chamber of Commerce, which it is alleged defendants refused to carry out.
The argument of the plaintiff is that courts favor arbitra.tion, which is undisputable, and that this action is intended as a suit not upon the original contract of sale, but upon the contract of arbitration which has been violated. The defendant
The plaintiff argues that the contract of sale is mentioned only as an inducement to his real cause of action, the arbitration. If this was the intention, the complaint is inartificially drawn, as seven out of the twelve paragraphs seem to relate to the contract of sale and its alleged breach, and to say the least, the complaint does not definitely sue on the arbitration. The arbitration is not mentioned specifically as ground of suit unless it can come under the word “contracts.”
Strictly speaking the construction ought to be against the pleader, but the court will permit the plaintiff to restate his cause of action more definitely. Por that purpose the motion to strike will be considered as -in the nature of a motion to com
It is so ordered.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- ORME RICE COMPANY v. CORTES HERMANOS & COMPANY
- Status
- Published