Red Cross Line v. Atlantic Fruit Company‪.‬

The Arbitration Law of New York, enacted April 19, 1920, c. 275, and amended March 1, 1921, c. 14, declares that a provision in a written contract to settle by arbitration a controversy thereafter arising between the parties "shall be valid, enforceable and irrevocable, save upon such grounds as exist at law or in equity for the revocation of any contract." It authorizes the Supreme Court, or a judge thereof, to direct, upon the application of a party to such an agreement, that the arbitration proceed in the manner so provided; to appoint an arbitrator for the other party, in case he fails to avail himself of the method prescribed by the contract; and to stay trial of the action, if suit has been begun. The law applies to contracts made before its enactment, if the controversy arose thereafter. Matter of Berkovitz v. Arbib & Houlberg, 230 N.Y. 261, 270, 271. Prior to this statute an agreement to arbitrate was legal in New York and damages were recoverable for a breach thereof. Haggart v. Morgan, 5 N.Y. 422, 427. But specific performance of the promise would not be enforced; the promise could not be pleaded in bar of an action; and it would not support a motion to stay. Finucane Co. v. Board of Education, 190 N.Y. 76, 83. These limitations upon the enforcement of a promise to arbitrate had been held to be part of the law of remedies. Meacham v. Jamestown,