Carlowitz v. United States

2 Ct. Cust. 172, 1911 WL 19948, 1911 CCPA LEXIS 148
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedMay 31, 1911
DocketNo. 564
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 2 Ct. Cust. 172 (Carlowitz 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
Carlowitz v. United States, 2 Ct. Cust. 172, 1911 WL 19948, 1911 CCPA LEXIS 148 (ccpa 1911).

Opinion

De Vries, Judge,

delivered tbe opinion of the court:

This appeal from a decision of the Board of General Appraisers is confined to the following protests, and description of goods covered by the same:

Protest 397880, dressed and dyed kid skins temporarily sewn into the form of crosses.
Protest 425072, dressed and dyed kid skins temporarily sewn into the form of crosses.
Protest 401905, dressed and dyed kid skins temporarily sewn into the form of crosses.
Protest 408554, dressed and dyed kid skins temporarily sewn into the form of crosses,

and natural slink lamb skins temporarily sewn into the form of crosses.

Protest 418703, dressed slink lamb skins temporarily sewn into the form of crosses.
Protest 423305, dressed susliki skins temporarily sewn into the form of linings.

[173]*173This statement of subject matter is as given in appellants’ brief with the exception of the last two, which are designated by appellants as “natural,” but which we deem fairly within this record dressed skins. That condition, however, is not held controlling.

The controversy involves the construction and application of paragraph 439 of the tariff act of August 5, 1909, which is as follows:

439. Furs dressed on the skin, not advanced further than dyeing, but not repaired, twenty per centum ad valorem; manufactures of furs, further advanced than dressing and dyeing, when prepared for use as material, including plates, linings, and crosses, thirty-five per centum ad valorem; articles of wearing apparel of every description, partly or wholly manufactured, composed of or of which fur is the component material of chief value, fifty per centum ad valorem. Furs not' on the skin, prepared for hatters’ use, including fur skins carroted, twenty per centum ad valorem.

The merchandise was assessed for duty under the second provision of that paragraph at 35 per cent ad valorem. The Government maintains this classification and assessment for dutiable purposes correct. The importers, appellants,’ maintain that the merchandise is properly dutiable under the first provision of that paragraph for furs dressed on the skin, etc., at 20 per cent ad valorem. The board overruled the protestants’ claims and they appeal.

We think the intent of Congress will be better subserved by consideration of the entire paragraph. It bears evidence when considered in all of its framework and import of having been intended as a comprehensive provision levying duties upon fur articles at rates graded according to condition, commencing with the fur dressed on the skin and extending to and including articles of wearing apparel made up of such furs in the various degrees of manufacture. Whether the purpose was fully accomplished is not now in issue.

The first provision is — ■

Furs dressed on the skin, not advanced further than dyeing, but not repaired, twenty per centum ad valorem;

The second provision is—

manufactures of furs, further advanced than dressing and dyeing, when prepared for use as material, including plates, linings, and crosses, thirty-five per centum ad valorem;

The third provision is—

articles of wearing apparel of every description, partly or wholly manufactured, composed of or of which fur is the component material of chief value, fifty per centum ad valorem.

The final provision is one covering merchandise akin to that covered by the first provision and levying thereon the same rate of ’duty, thus observing the classification of such merchandise according to rates of duty and condition in which imported.

The first provision relates to the goods as taken from the animal and dressed, but not further advanced than dyeing nor repaired.

The second is manifestly a material provision.

[174]*174The whole framework of the paragraph and the language employed in the precise provision indicates that it is intended to embrace for dutiable purposes those materials which are prepared for use by, and usually sold to, manufacturers of fur articles.

Whilst the provision opens with the phrase "manufactures of furs,” the subsequent limitations placed upon that phrase in that such shall be "further advanced than dressing and dyeing,” and be such as are "prepared for use as material,” indicate that the term "manufactures of furs” was not used by Congress with a view to including therewithin and making here dutiable only such things as arise to the dignity of manufactures of furs in the sense of articles completed, ready for final use, as distinguished from such manufactures constituting materials for further manufacture. It was a phrase used by Congress in connection with the subsequent limiting words to define by the entire expression a condition of merchandise upon which a rate of duty is levied, which, however, in fact had not reached a condition coming fully and completely within the term "manufactures of furs” in the sense last above stated. The provision transposed, it seems to us, essentially provides as if it read "materials prepared for use when made of furs further advanced than dressing or dyeing.” This provision is tantamount to a description of the condition of merchandise constituting materials for and levying duties thereupon rather than an enactment assessing duties upon manufactures of that merchandise. That result is inherent from the very terms of limitation placed upon the phrase ".manufactures of furs,” as used in the statute.

In this sense Congress has attempted a gradation of rates and conditions provided in the paragraph in so far as it speaks. First, fur skins dyed. This would be practically as they come from the huntsman, including dyeing. Second, fur skins dressed and dyed and prepared for use as materials for the furrier or other manufacturer of' furs. Third, certain manufactures of furs, to wit, articles of wearing apparel partly or wholly manufactured.

The phrase, "including plates, linings, and crosses,” part of the second material provision, lends weight to this conclusion in that it plainly and admittedly includes classes of furrier’s materials.

It is contended by the appellants that the words "plates, linings, and crosses,” as here used, are not words of extension, but words of specification, and that each is modified by the preceding words “further advanced than dressing and dyeing,” and that, therefore, only those plates, linings, and crosses can be included within this provision for dutiable purposes which are dressed and dyed, and which in the condition as imported are ready for use as material.

Whether phrases such as these, introduced by the word "including,” in tariff provisions, are words of extension or specification has [175]*175been the subject of previous consideration by the courts. The determining rule in such cases has been, in a great measure, ascertained by an examination of the history and context of the particular provisions.

In Hiller et al. v. United States (106 Fed. Rep., 73), the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit considered such a phrase. The language was that of paragraph 339 of the tariff act of 1897, which read:

339.

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Bluebook (online)
2 Ct. Cust. 172, 1911 WL 19948, 1911 CCPA LEXIS 148, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carlowitz-v-united-states-ccpa-1911.