Dobson v. United States

28 Cust. Ct. 290, 1952 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 40
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedJune 3, 1952
DocketC. D. 1424
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 28 Cust. Ct. 290 (Dobson v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Customs Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dobson v. United States, 28 Cust. Ct. 290, 1952 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 40 (cusc 1952).

Opinion

OliveR, Chief Judge:

The merchandise in the case at bar consists of certain items invoiced as “Dinky Toys.” It was assessed for duty under paragraph 1513, Tariff Act of 1930, at the rate of 70 per centum ad valorem as “all other toys, and parts of toys, not specially provided for.” It is claimed properly dutiable under the same paragraph of the act, as modified by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (T. D. 51802), at the rate of 25 per centum ad valorem as “Figures or images of animate objects, wholly or in chief value of metal.”

The pertinent parts of the paragraphs in question are as follows:

Paragraph 1513, Tariff Act of 1930:

* * * and all other toys, and parts of toys, not specially provided for, 70 per centum ad valorem.

Paragraph 1513, Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, T. D. 51802:

Toys, not specially provided for:
*******
Figures or images of animate objects, wholly or in chief value of metal:
Not having any movable member or part, and valued at 21 cents or more per pound; or having any movable member or part but not having a spring mechanism, and valued at 30 cents or more per pound-25% ad val.

At the trial certain exhibits representative of each item number included herein were received in evidence (plaintiffs’ exhibits 1 to 8, inclusive). It was stipulated between counsel for the plaintiffs and the defendant that these exhibits are wholly or in chief value of metal and do not have any spring mechanism (R. 13), and, further, that the imported articles are each valued at more than 30 cents per pound. All of the plaintiffs’ exhibits represent miniatures of various objects containing certain human figures.

Plaintiffs’ exhibit 1 (item No. 14A) consists of an electric truck with an operator standing therein (It. 8). Plaintiffs’ exhibit 2 (item No. 36G) consists of a taxicab with a driver (R. 9). Plaintiffs’ exhibit 3 (item No. 37A) is a, motorcycle with a civilian driver (R. 9). Plaintiffs’ exhibit 4 (item No. 37B) is an object representing a motorcycle policeman on his machine (R. 10, 31). Plaintiffs’ exhibit 5 (item No. 42B) is a police patrol machine with two motorcycle policemen, one on the motorcycle, and the other sitting in a side car (R. 10, 31). Plaintiffs’ exhibit 6 (item 43B) represents a motorcycle (“RAC”) with an operator (R. 11). Plaintiffs’ exhibit 7 (item No. 44B) is a motorcycle patrol wagon (“AA”) with the operator (R. 12, 31-32). Plaintiffs’ exhibit 8 (item No. 562) represents a scale model of a “Muir-Hill” dump truck with an operator that can be turned in either direction. The distinctive feature of the actual Muir-Hill dump truck as contrasted with an ordinary dump truck is that the operator, as represented in this scale model, can reverse his position and operate the truck in the direction he wants (R. 13, 32).

[292]*292There were received in evidence on behalf of the defendant four illustrative exhibits to illustrate toy figures or images of animate objects. Defendant’s illustrative exhibit A is a metal figure of a man. Defendant’s illustrative exhibit B is a metal article representing a figure of a railroad employee, as is defendant’s illustrative exhibit C. Defendant’s illustrative exhibit D is a metal miniature of a woman (R. 32-35). Two other exhibits were received in evidence which were introduced by the Government to illustrate toy figures of inanimate objects. Defendant’s illustrative exhibit E consists of a metal miniature of a railroad truck (R. 35). Defendant’s illustrative exhibit P is a miniature truck made of metal and cardboard, the greater weight of which is of metal (It. 38-39).

Plaintiffs do not contend that the articles in question are not “toys” (paragraph 1513) but maintain that they are specially provided for under paragraph 1513 of the tariff act, as modified by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (T. D. 51802), at the rate of 25 per centum ad valorem as “figures or images of animate objects.” It is the plaintiffs’ position that all of the items in question are figures or images of animate objects because the figure of the man included in the general make-up of each article is necessary to its composition for purposes of sale and that, inasmuch as it forms an important part of the toy, the article would not be the toy which it is without the figure of such animate object.

Respecting the involved items, the importer of these toys, who has been handling such merchandise since about 1927, testified that the term “dinky” is used in the diminutive sense and that these articles are miniatures of various well-known objects made to a common scale of a quarter of an inch (R. 6). He stated that he had never sold toy electric trucks such as plaintiffs’ exhibit 1 without the operator on them (R. 39). The witness further testified with respect to plaintiffs’ exhibits 3 to 7 that he had never seen a toy described as a motorcycle man in that scale without the motorcycle (R. 32). With respect to plaintiffs’ exhibit 8, he testified that the driver on that truck illustrates the distinctive feature of the Muir-Hill truck, heretofore described.

The only issue here for determination is whether the imported articles (plaintiffs’ exhibits 1 to 8, inclusive) are “figures or images of animate objects” and thus entitled to the reduced rate of duty provided for in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (T. D. 51802) with respect to paragraph 1513 of the Tariff Act of 1930.

Resort to lexicographic authorities furnishes the following definitions of the adjective “animate”:

Funk & Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary of the English Language (1941):

animate, a. 1. Possessing animal life; living; as, the animate creation. 2. Possessing animation; lively. 3. [Rare.] Of or pertaining to living beings.

[293]*293Webster’s New International Dictionary, 2d Edition, 1950:

animate, adj. 1. Inspired; moved. Ohs. 2. Endowed with life; alive; living. 3. Animated; lively. 4. Gram. Referring to what is alive; — said of gender or class forms in certain languages.

This court in F. W. Woolworth Co. v. United States, 3 Cust. Ct. 87, C. D. 210 (affirmed in United States v. F. W. Woolworth Co., 28 C. C. P. A. (Customs) 196, C. A. D. 145), had before it the determination of the classification of certain miniature figures of base-metal which the collector bad classified as toys under paragraph 1513, Tariff Act of 1930, and which were claimed dutiable as manufactures of metal under paragraph 397 of the act. Judge Sullivan, in describing the merchandise therein involved, stated, page 88:

The merchandise covered by this protest consists of miniature metal figures, representing people, animals, and inanimate objects, such as benches, trees, fences, etc. * * *

It would appear from the authorities above cited that an “animate” object is one representing animals or people, that is, possessing animal life, and that inanimate objects are those which are not endowed with animal life, such as benches, trees, fences, etc.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
28 Cust. Ct. 290, 1952 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 40, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dobson-v-united-states-cusc-1952.