F. E. Atteaux & Co. v. Mechling Bros. Manufacturing Co.

140 N.E. 271, 245 Mass. 483, 1923 Mass. LEXIS 1116
CourtMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
DecidedJune 1, 1923
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 140 N.E. 271 (F. E. Atteaux & Co. v. Mechling Bros. Manufacturing Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
F. E. Atteaux & Co. v. Mechling Bros. Manufacturing Co., 140 N.E. 271, 245 Mass. 483, 1923 Mass. LEXIS 1116 (Mass. 1923).

Opinion

Pierce, J.

This is a suit in equity brought by F. E. Atteaux and Company, Inc. (hereinafter called the Atteaux Company) against Mechling Brothers Manufacturing Company (hereinafter called Mechling Company) to enjoin the prosecution of an action at law, brought by the Mechling Company against the plaintiff in the Superior Court upon a written contract, and to have that contract annulled and set aside as having been procured by fraud. The action at law was never entered in the Superior Court. The defendant Mechling Company by a cross bill seeks damages for the alleged breach of the aforesaid contract by the plaintiff Atteaux Company.

The case was referred to a master and was subsequently heard by a judge of the Superior Court upon exceptions by both parties to the master’s report and the plaintiff’s motion for a decree. The presiding judge filed a statement of his decision and entered an interlocutory decree overruling the exceptions to and confirming the master’s report. He also entered a final decree dismissing the bill of complaint and awarding damages to the Mechling Brothers Manufacturing Company in the sum of $18,687.34, with interest thereon from May 17, 1909, to the date of the decree.

It appears in the master’s report that the Mechling Company entered into a written contract on November 13, 1907, with the Atteaux Company, by which the Mechling Company appointed the Atteaux Company its exclusive [488]*488selling agent for the sale of hyposulphite of soda and sulphide of soda, agreeing to produce certain stipulated quantities; and the Atteaux Company agreed to sell the entire output at a certain minimum net profit to the Mechling Company. The Atteaux Company contended before the master, as charged in its bill, that the contract between the parties had been procured by fraud. On this issue the master found in favor of the Mechling Company, and the Atteaux Company does not now contend that it is entitled to have the contract set aside for fraud in its inception.

The immediate circumstances attending the execution of the contract succinctly stated, as reported by the master, are that the Atteaux Company had for a number of years been engaged in the sale of hyposulphite and sulphide of soda as the general selling agents for the Grasselli Chemical Company; and when this agency was about to expire, in January 1, 1908, it looked around for a new source of supply for these chemicals. Atteaux, president of the Atteaux Company, was generally familiar with the various plants which had manufactured hyposulphite and knew that the Mechling Company had purchased the equipment of an old plant which from 1891 until 1895 had been operated in Walpole, Massachusetts, under the superintendence of a man named Smith. Atteaux’s relations with Smith were close, and he had been instrumental in securing the employment of Smith as superintendent at the Grasselli Chemical Company. Smith, however, was no longer in that employment, and it occurred to Atteaux that the time was opportune so to arrange matters with the Mechling Company that he could now procure hyposulphite from Smith’s old plant with Smith in charge. Somewhat extended negotiations followed, in the course of which the Atteaux Company represented to the Mechling Company that it knew a competent superintendent for the manufacture of the products in question, that it could furnish this man, and that it would not particularly care to take up the matter unless it placed this man (Smith) with the Mechling Company. During the course of these negotiations Smith was constantly relied upon by Atteaux in obtaining information with regard to [489]*489the situation at the works of the Mechling Company, and was finally employed by the latter at the time it entered into the contract.

The contract is set out in full in the master’s report. The provision by which the Atteaux Company was appointed sole and exclusive selling agent is as follows: That the party of the first part [Mechling Company] does hereby appoint the party of the second part [Atteaux Company], its sole and exclusive Selling Agents, for the sale of all Hyposulphite of Soda and Sulphide of Soda manufactured by the party of the first part, for a period of five (5) years from January 1st, 1908.” The correlative provision with respect to the obligation of the Atteaux Company reads as follows: The party of the second part [Atteaux Company] does hereby agree to sell for the party of the first part [Mechling Company] their whole output of the above described articles at prices which will net at least an average of 10% profit to the party of the first part for said term, upon the amount of all sales. Should the profits at the end of any one year average less than 10%, for the preceding portion of the term of this contract, the party of the second part agrees to pay the party of the first part a sum which will make the average equal 10%; such amount paid is to be reimbursed to the party of the second part from any profit above 10% in the succeeding years under this contract. . . . The party of the first part hereby agrees to allow the party of the second part a commission of 5% on the amount of all sales after charges for freight and drayage have been deducted. The commission herein provided for is to cover all services and expenses connected with the sale of these articles. The said commission is to be considered as part of the manufacturing cost and to be on the net price realized by the party of the second part at their works. . . . In case, however, at any time the party of the first part shall notify the party of the second part that the profits on the sales for the previous part of the contract shall not have netted them an average 10% profit in their sales, up to such time and shall furnish them with a detailed statement in writing of the cost of production and sale, the party of the [490]*490second part shall cease to deduct their commission for selling from the bills or statements of shipments and shall remit the whole amount of the bills or statements less 1% discount for cash until the profits shall be ascertained to have amounted to an average of 10% as hereinbefore provided. The profits of the party of the first part on sales shall be deemed to be the difference between the amount (not deducting said 1% cash discount) of the sales, after charges-for freight and drayage have been deducted, and the cost of production and "sale, and such cost shall be ascertained as follows, to wit: to the cost of material, labor, superintendence, steam, fuel, water, repairs of plant, shall be added, the aforesaid commission of 5% for selling, and to the aggregate of all the foregoing, 5% thereof to cover the items of rent, interest, taxes and office expenses. The said party of the first part shall keep separate accounts of said expenses and in the case of steam, water, or other things furnished through the general plant of the party of the first part, the cost shall be estimated from all sources available therefor. The books and plant of the party of the first part relating to the said business shall be open at all convenient times to the inspection of a duly appointed representative of "the party of the second part.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
140 N.E. 271, 245 Mass. 483, 1923 Mass. LEXIS 1116, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/f-e-atteaux-co-v-mechling-bros-manufacturing-co-mass-1923.