George D. Witt Shoe Co. v. J. A. Seegars & Co.

47 So. 444, 122 La. 145, 1908 La. LEXIS 422
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedOctober 19, 1908
DocketNo. 17,227
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 47 So. 444 (George D. Witt Shoe Co. v. J. A. Seegars & Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
George D. Witt Shoe Co. v. J. A. Seegars & Co., 47 So. 444, 122 La. 145, 1908 La. LEXIS 422 (La. 1908).

Opinion

MONROE, J.

Plaintiff, a Virginia corporation engaged in the manufacture of shoes, brought suit against defendants, merchants engaged in business in Louisiana, for the price of a lot of shoes alleged to have been sold through a traveling salesman, and, asserting a vendor’s privilege, caused the goods or part of them to be seized under a writ of sequestration. The sequestration was set aside by the district court on the ground that, the sale having taken place in Virginia, plaintiff had no privilege for the price. Two justices of the Court of Appeal were of opinion that the decision of the court should be controlled by the rulings of this court in McLane v. His Creditors, 47 La. Ann. 135, 16 South. 764, and Erman & Cahn v. Lehman, 47 La. Ann. 1651, 18 South. 650, and, so thinking, held that the transaction between plaintiff’s salesman and defendants in Louisiana amounted to a sale, and hence that the seizure should be maintained. Justice Porter, on the other hand, was of opinion, with the trial judge, that the views expressed by this court in the case of State v. Shields, 110 La. 547, 34 South. 673, should control, an'd agreeably thereto that the contract before the court should be held to be a Virginia contract, under which plaintiffs were entitled to no privilege.

J. Alex Seegar succeeded to the business of the original defendants, and obtained a respite from his creditors, and he asks that the judgment of the Court of Appeal be reviewed, and that this court render such judgment as it may deem proper in the premises.

It is undisputed that plaintiff’s salesman obtained the order for the goods in Louisiana, and that he wrote it down upon a form provided by plaintiff, across the face of which there is printed in conspicuous type the stipulations, or warnings:

“This sheet sets forth all conditions in regard to this sale.
“Positively no countermands accepted.
“All orders and contracts from salesmen subject to our approval.”

It is also undisputed that the order was forwarded by the salesman to plaintiff in Virginia, to be there filled by the manufacture (in part) and by the selection and segregation from plaintiff’s stock (for the rest), and the appropriation to the contract of such [147]*147goods in quantity, quality, and style as would meet its requirements.

It is likewise undisputed, and the evidence offered on behalf of plaintiff shows, that the bills upon which it sues have printed upon them conspicuously in red ink the stipulations, or warnings:

“Our responsibility ceases when we take Transportation Co.’s receipt ‘In good order.’ * * *
“Pay no money to salesman without our written instructions.”

The testimony adduced for plaintiff tends to show that its rule that all orders and contracts from salesmen should be subject to its approval does not apply to the particular salesman who obtained the order in this case, though it is shown by him that it does apply to 41 other salesmen employed by plaintiff. Thus he says:

“We travel 42 salesmen. The other contracts are not like mine. The men represent the concern merely on a commission basis, and have no authority except to submit the order to the house.”

Testifying as to his relations with plaintiff, he says that for the first six months he worked for a commission, after which (and since 1901) he has worked for a salary, and has had entire authority to make binding sales in Louisiana. His cross-examination reads, in part, as follows:

“Q. Mr. Mitchell, in your travels as salesman for the Geo. D. Witt Shoe Company, have you ever sold any goods that were not shipped? A. I have sold goods that were not shipped as explained in the testimony of Mr. Dabney. Eor instance, I had no information, could gather no information. The matter was left open to me, and the orders were acted on by the credit man. Q. The credit man reserves the right to act on all orders sent in, does he not? A. Unquestionably not. Q. Then, why do you have printed across the face of your orders: ‘This sheet sets forth all conditions in regard to this sale. All orders and contracts from salesmen subject to our approval’? A. This sheet is a part of a book used by Geo. D. Witt Shoe Company, and for their convenience — a duplicate of all unequivocal orders mailed to the merchants by the Geo. D. Witt Shoe Company. This is not a contract binding Seegars & Co. As a matter of fact, they have no part in it; no duplicate or record of this kind. Q. It binds the Geo. D. Witt Shoe Company? A. It binds no one. Q.- Then, that stipulation on that order is an idle stipulation? A. It is a stipulation used for the purpose — this sheet is a part of the Geo. D. Witt Shoe Company’s book. Q. It is upon this sheet that you took the order for the shoes, is it not? A. It is upon this sheet. The Geo. D. Witt Shoe Company uses this sheet as a part of their book of record. Q. That is in your writing, is it not? A. This is my writing. Q. That stipulation has no bearing upon that sheet? A. None whatever for this cause: The Geo. D. Witt Shoe Company accepts of my order — the number of dozens marked on the top of the duplicate — and ratifies every agreement that I make with the customer. Q. Why do they ratify your agreement if you have absolute authority without their ratification? A. It is-realty not a question of ratification. It is a question of acknowledgment.”

Mr. Dabney, the secretary of the plaintiff company, testifies that Mitchell—

“has authority at all times to make an absolute sale, except in such cases where the parties are not customers of the house, and he has not sufficient data to base a contract on.. In such cases he takes a conditional order, and sends it in to the house for investigation and confirmation. In the case in question he had absolute authority for the reason that John A. Seegars & Co. were well known to him and to-the Geo. D. Witt Shoe Company, who had previously investigated it’s responsibility.”

It appears, however, that the Geo. D. Witt Shoe Company made an investigation as to-the responsibility of John A. Seegars & Co. after receiving the order in question, and before shipping the goods. So the witness proceeds:

“And, while it is a fact that inquiry was made-as to the responsibility of John A. Seegars & Co. after- the receipt of the order upon which these goods were shipped, it was done simply as a matter of record for our files, and in order that we could advise Mr. Mitchell as to any change in his financial standing as guide for his future transactions with John A. Seegars- & Co.”

There was a difference of opinion between the justices of the Court of 'Appeal constituting the majority and the two other judges who have considered the case as to the admissibility and effect of the testimony so-given, the dissenting justice and the judge of the district court being of opinion that it was not admissible, and that it did not prove [149]*149that Mitchell was authorized to do more than take orders, subject to ratification.

We are inclined to think that the testimony was inadmissible; for, though the instrument upon which the order was taken down and transmitted was not signed by Seegars & Co., it was exhibited to them and entered into, and formed part of, the contract which resulted in the order.

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Bluebook (online)
47 So. 444, 122 La. 145, 1908 La. LEXIS 422, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/george-d-witt-shoe-co-v-j-a-seegars-co-la-1908.