Caplan v. United States

14 Ct. Cust. 247, 1926 WL 27898, 1926 CCPA LEXIS 325
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedNovember 19, 1926
DocketNo. 2775
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 14 Ct. Cust. 247 (Caplan 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
Caplan v. United States, 14 Ct. Cust. 247, 1926 WL 27898, 1926 CCPA LEXIS 325 (ccpa 1926).

Opinion

Graham, Presiding Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

The appellant imported, at the port of New York, six shipments of jute webbing, which were entered in each instance as “Jute webbing, under 12 inches wide,” under paragraph 1015 of the Tariff Act of 1922. The collector classified the goods as entered. The importer protested in each instance, claiming the goods to be dutiable either at 1 cent per pound, or at 1 cent per pound and 10 per centum ad valorem, under paragraph 1008 of said act. The collector, having affirmed his original decision in each instance, the various entries and accompanying papers and exhibits were transmitted to the Board of General Appraisers, where, on consolidation and hearing, the collector’s classification was affirmed. From that judgment the importer appeals.

[248]*248The paragraphs of the tariff act of 1922 involved here are as follows:

Par. 1008. Fabrics, composed wholly of jute, plain-woven, twilled, and all other, not specially provided for, not bleached, printed, stenciled, painted, dyed, colored, nor rendered noninflammable, 1 cent per pound; bleached, printed, stenciled, painted, dyed, colored, or rendered noninflammable, 1 cent per pound and 10 per centum ad valorem.
Par. 1015. Fabrics with fast edges not exceeding twelve inches in width, and articles made therefrom; tubings, garters, suspenders, braces, cords, tassels, and cords and tassels; all the foregoing composed wholly or in chief value of vegetable fiber other than cotton, or of vegetable fiber other than cotton and india rubber, 35 per centum ad valorem; tapes composed wholly or in part of flax, woven with or without metal threads, on reels, spools, or otherwise, and designed expressly for use in the manufacture of measuring tapes, 30 per centum ad valorem.

The material imported is shown by the record to be a striped fabric, made wholly of jute, about 3% inches in width and with fast edges. It is imported in bales, each bale containing 24 pieces and each piece being 72 yards in length.

It is conceded by counsel on both sides that the imported material is covered by the language of both paragraphs 1008 and 1015, and that the only issue of law here is as to the relative specificity of said paragraphs. The language particularly to be considered is that of paragraph 1008: “Fabrics, composed wholly of jute,” and that of paragraph 1015: “Fabrics with fast edges not exceeding twelve inches in width, * * * wholly or in chief value of vegetable fiber other than cotton.”

In determining this question, it is essential to consider what meaning, if any, has been given by the courts, in the past, to the word “fabrics,” as it has appeared in this statute or similar antecedent statutes. In Arnold v. United States, 147 U. S. 494, the court held, in passing upon the relative applicability of paragraphs 392 and 396 of the tariff act of October 1, 1890: “Clothing and articles of wearing apparel are more specific than cloths and knit fabrics. Out of cloths and knit fabrics clothing and wearing apparel are made.” In Bister v. United States, 59 Fed. 452, the contest was between paragraphs 395 and 414 of the tariff act of October 1, 1890, the first of which provided for “women’s and children’s dress goods * * * and goods of similar description and character, composed wholly or in part of wool, worsted * * *” and the latter for “all manufactures of silk, or of which silk is the component material of chief value.” The court held the former to be more specific and said:

The case falls within the general rule that, where a tariff act imposes a duty on an article by a specific name or description, general terms in the act, though embracing it broadly, are not applicable to it. The general must give way to the particular.

In T. D. 21115,1 Treas. Dec. 954, strips of silk fabric with selvages, from 4 to 12 inches in width, were classified as trimmings under [249]*249paragraph 390 of the tariff act of July 24, 1897, and were claimed to be “woven fabrics in the piece” under paragraph 387 thereof. The Board of General Appraisers sustained the classification, stating:

The term “fabrics” has been held to be applicable particularly to wide or “piece” goods, which are generally intended for use in making wearing apparel and other articles (and have, therefore, to be cut into various smaller forms requisite for that purpose), as contradistinguished from ribbons, bands, and narrow articles, which are put to their final uses in the widths in which they are made.

In Robinson v. United States, 122 Fed. 970, all silk mourning crepes of 4/4 widths were classified as “woven fabrics in the piece not specially provided for,” under paragraph 387 of the tariff act of July 24, 1897, and were claimed to be trimmings under paragraph 390 thereof; this claim was sustained.

This court had under consideration in United States v. Milbank, Leaman & Co., 14 Ct. Cust. Appls. 166, T. D. 41693, paragraphs 1108 and 1109 of the Tariff Act of 1922, providing, respectively, for “woven fabrics, weighing more than four ounces per square yard, wholly or in chief value of wool,” etc., and “all manufactures * * * wholly or in chief value of wool.” We there held: “In the opinion of the court, said paragraph 1109 was intended to and does include cloth or material in the piece and not further manufactured.” The court also, in the case last cited, called attention to the orderly and well arranged construction of the textile materials and manufactures schedules of the Tariff Act of 1922, in this language:

Various authorities are cited here as to the construqtion of similar language under preceding statutes. We believe, however, that we need not look beyond the text of other provisions of the Tariff Act of 1922 to arrive at the conclusion that the term “woven fabrics” as it appears in paragraph 1109 was intended to apply to material only and not to articles manufactured therefrom.
In Schedule 11 of said act, Wool and manufactures of, raw wool is fully covered by paragraphs 1101 and 1102, waste of all kinds by paragraph 1105, advanced wool by paragraph 1106, yarn by paragraph 1107, woven fabrics by paragraphs 1108 and 1109, pile fabrics and manufactures thereof by paragraph 1110, blankets and similar articles by paragraph 1111, felts by paragraph 1112, fabrics with fast edges and articles made therefrom by paragraph 1113, knit fabrics and certain knitted articles by paragraph 1114, clothing by paragraph 1115, carpets and rugs by paragraphs 1116, 1117, and 1118, and, finally, all manufactures not specially provided for, by paragraph 1119.
Here is a complete and well developed scheme for the classification of wool and wool products, by which everything, from the raw material, to the most highly manufactured product, may be reached and covered. In this arrangement, Schedule 11 follows the same general lines pursued in Schedule 9, Cotton manufactures, Schedule 10, Flax, hemp, and jute, and manufactures of, and Schedule 12, Silk'and silk goods.

Further reference in this respect, is made to T. D. 31665, 20 Treas. Dec. 921, and United States v. Wertheimer Bros., 2 Ct. Cust. Appls. 515.

[250]*250We find ourselves in harmony with these various decisions.

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