The plaintiff has recovered of the defendant a verdict for $3,250, claimed to be due him for balance for services rendered to the defendant corporation. The defendant, for a number of years, had been engaged in the manufacture of shirts and underwear in the city of New York. The plaintiff; prior to his connection with the defendant, was an underwear salesman for another concern. The issues in the action are framed on a second amended complaint and the answer thereto interposed by the defendant corporation. This second amended complaint has already been before this court upon demurrer interposed thereto, which demurrer was overruled and the complaint held to state a cause of action against the defendant. (Spain v. Manhattan Shirt Co., 177 App. Div. 610.)
The cause of action alleged by the plaintiff is a very peculiar one. Plaintiff alleges that on the 29 th day of May, 1915, he entered into an agreement with the defendant to enter its employ as an underwear specialist and manager of its underwear department, and that pending a demonstration of plaintiff’s ability to make a success of defendant’s underwear business, which at that time does not seem to have been a paying venture, plaintiff alleges that he was to receive
This court has held that the complaint states facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action against the defendant.
Upon the trial the plaintiff testified to a conversation between himself and Messrs. Levi and Tim, defendant’s representatives, which he claims constituted the contract in question; that he told these gentlemen representing the defendant that he felt confident that he could put defendant’s underwear business on a volume basis, and that he confidently believed that he could put it on a half million dollar basis inside of three years, and that to prove to them that he could do so he would be willing to take it on a probationary period of ninety days, and if at the end of said period he was unsuccessful, he would step down and out. Plaintiff • further testified that he stated to defendant’s representatives that if he did make good he would expect a contract of not less than $5,000 a year, and that that was the whole proposition. He further stated that as to his compensation during the probationary period, he would expect nothing beyond his expenses, but that defendant’s representatives replied that they would give him $50 a week, and that he acquiesced therein, and stated that he would accept whatever they agreed to; that all he wanted was to show them what he could do. Plaintiff testified that that was the entire conversation. His counsel endeavored repeatedly to have plaintiff amplify his testimony, but he insisted that the conversation was in a nutshell as he had stated, and that he had given the entire conversation. On the following day he was recalled to the witness stand and testified in response to his counsel’s inquiry, that hé wished to make a correction in reference to his testimony of the previous day in regard to the acceptance of the $50 a week, and then testified that he agreed to accept the $50 a week, providing he made good, and that they entered into the contract for $5,000 a year, and that he only agreed to accept the $50 per week in full for his services provided he
It is unnecessary to go into the question as to whether or not plaintiff was able to demonstrate his ability to increase defendant’s business to the desired volume, thereby entitling him to the "permanent contract, or the question as to whether or not defendant acted arbitrarily in discharging him and in failing to enter into the contract which he sought. This action is not to recover damages for failure to enter into the contract nor by reason of plaintiff’s discharge without proper cause. It is purely and simply an effort to collect a balance which the plaintiff claims his due under some contract on defendant’s part which he claims entitles him to the full value of his services during the period when he was demonstrating his ability to place defendant’s business on a profitable
The judgment and order appealed from should be reversed, with costs, and plaintiff’s complaint dismissed, with' costs.
Clarke, P. J., Laughlin, Dowling and Shearn, JJ., concurred.
Judgment and order reversed, with costs, and complaint dismissed, with costs.
