American Bead Co. v. United States

7 Ct. Cust. 18, 1916 WL 21570, 1916 CCPA LEXIS 30
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedMarch 9, 1916
DocketNo. 1601
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 7 Ct. Cust. 18 (American Bead Co. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Customs and Patent Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American Bead Co. v. United States, 7 Ct. Cust. 18, 1916 WL 21570, 1916 CCPA LEXIS 30 (ccpa 1916).

Opinion

De Vries, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

This appeal concerns headed chains or necklaces, some with and others without metal clasps. When present the clasps are of base metal, large, crude, colored and of the kind customarily used for carrying fans, bags, or similar articles. The beads are of various materials other than metal. Some are of wood, others gelatin or paste, china or colored glass. They do not, save one sample in an insignificant degree, imitate any of v the precious or semiprecious stones. Including and comprising the great bulk are necklaces in imitation of jet. They are all intended to be worn on or about the [20]*20person as ornaments. To some are attached, pendants or tassels They are all wholly or in chief value of beads, and may be properly termed “beaded articles.” Duty was assessed thereon as articles commonly known as jewelry under paragraph 356 of the tariff act of 1913. On protest the Board of General Appraisers affirmed this assessment.

The importers appeal from this decision, asserting as their chief claim that the articles are properly dutiable as “articles composed in chief value of beads” under paragraph 333 of the act.

The several instructive and pertinent paragraphs in order are as follows:

333. Beads and spangles of all kinds, including imitation pearl beads, not threaded or strung, qr strung loosely on thread for facility in transportation only, thirty-live per centum ad valorem; curtains, and other articles not embroidered nor appliquéd and not specially provided for in this section, composed wholly or in chief value of beads or spangles made of glass or paste, gelatin, metal, or other maternal, fifty per centum ad valorem.
356. Jewelry, commonly or commercially so known, valued above 20 cents per dozen pieces, sixty per centum ad valorem; rope, curb, cable, and fancy patterns of chain not exceeding one-half inch in diametér, width, or thickness, valued above 30 cents per yard; and articles valued above 20 cents per dozen pieces designed to be worn on apparel or carried on or about or attached to the person, such as and including buckles, cardcases, chains, cigar cases, cigar cutters, cigar holders, cigarette cases, cigarette holders, coin holders, collar, cuff, and dress buttons, combs, match boxes, mesh bags and purses, millinery, military, and hair ornaments, pins, powder cases, stamp cases, vanity cases, and like articles; all the foregoing and parts thereof, finished or partly finished, composed of metal, whether or not enameled, washed, covered, or plated, including rolled gold plate, and whether or not set with precious or semiprecious stones, pearls, cameos, coral, or amber, or with imitation precious stones or imitation pearls, sixty per centum ad valorem. Stampings, galleries, mesh and other materials of metal, whether or not set with glass or paste, finished or partly finished, separate or in strips or sheets, suitable for use in the manufacture of any of the foregoing articles in this paragraph, fifty per centum ad valorem.
357. Diamonds and other precious stones, rough or uncut, and not advanced in condition or valuó from theirnatural state by cleaving, splitting, cutting, or other process, whether in their natural form or broken, and bort; any of the foregoing not set, and diamond dust, ten per centum ad valorem; pearls and parts thereof, drilled or un-drilled, but not set or strung; diamonds, coral, rubies, cameos, and other precious stones and semiprecious stones, cut but not set, and suitable'for use in the manufacture of jewelry, twenty per centum ad valorem; imitation precious stones, including pearls and parts thereof, for use in the manufacture of jewelry, doublets, artificial, or so-called synthetic or reconstructed pearls and parts thereof, rubies, or other precious stones, twenty per centum ad valorem,

■ In this court the appellants contend—

. (1) That these articles are excluded from-paragraph 356 in that the phrase therein “all the foregoing * * * composed of metal” modifies all the preceding language of the paragraph; wherefore these articles being admittedly not “composed of metal” are excluded therefrom. The court having decided that question ad-[21]*21yersely to the appellants, it is not in this case. Mamluck & Co. et al. v. United States (6 Ct. Cust. Appls., 556; T. D. 36198).

The appellants further claim, however, (2) that beaded necklaces, such as these, are not commonly known as jewelry; and, (3) that in this act and for many years past Congress in tariff legislation has treated beads and beaded articles as separate and distinct tariff subjects from “jewelry.” Wherefore it is claimed that they are not deemed by Congress and should not be held to be “jewelry” within the act. Appellants also.assert that that has been the course of administration and decision.

On the other hand, the Government assumes . (1) that such articles' were, by the collector and the board, found to be commonly known as jewelry, which finding appellants did not impeach by testimony; and, (2) that no such uniform course of decision has been established; and, (3) that common knowledge and understanding classes these articles as jewelry.

The rule of decision that appellate courts will not within certain limitations disturb the findings.of fact by the lower tribunal is too familiar to warrant argument or citation. The determination of the common meaning or scope of words of the English language, however, is not always regarded or expressed as a finding of fact, but a matter of judicial knowledge “and a matter of law.” The rule was tersely stated by Mr. Chief Justice Fuller in considering a provision of the tariff act of 1883, in Sonn v. Magono (159 U. S., 417-421), as follows:

The words “seeds” and “vegetables” are words of common speech, and there is no room here for the contention that they had acquired a special signification by usage or had a scientific, different from the popular, meaning. Whether the articles were properly classified as vegetables was a matter for the court to decide. The interpretation of words of common speech is within the judicial knowledge and matter of law. Marvel v. Merritt (116 U. S., 11); Nix v. Hedden (149 U. S., 304); Cadwalader v. Zeh (151 U. S., 171); Saltonstall v. Wiebusch (156 U. S., 601).

Mr. Justice Gray amplified the rule in Nix v. Hedden (149 U. S., 304-307), stating:

There being no evidence that the words “fruit” an.d “vegetables” have acquired any special meaning in trade or commerce, they must receive their ordinary meaning. Of that meaning the court is bound to take judicial notice, as it does in regard to all words in our own tongue; and upon such a question dictionaries are admitted, not as evidence, but only as aids to the memory and understanding of the court. Brown v. Piper (91 U. S., 37, 42); Jones v. United States (137 U. S., 202, 216); Nelson v. Gushing (2 Cush., 519, 532, 533); Page v. Fawcet (1 Leon., 242); Taylor on Evidence (8th ed., secs. 16, 21).

Of course, the trial court may take or consider evidence in aid of this ascertainment as well as examine dictionary definitions. Such have been held admissible by the Supreme Court for that purpose, but only as aids to the court and not as establishing or controverting an issuable fact. Robertson v. Salomon (130 U. S., 412-415). Com[22]

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Bluebook (online)
7 Ct. Cust. 18, 1916 WL 21570, 1916 CCPA LEXIS 30, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-bead-co-v-united-states-ccpa-1916.