Empire Laboratory Supply Co. v. United States

22 C.C.P.A. 196, 1934 CCPA LEXIS 159
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedMay 21, 1934
DocketNo. 3712
StatusPublished

This text of 22 C.C.P.A. 196 (Empire Laboratory Supply 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
Empire Laboratory Supply Co. v. United States, 22 C.C.P.A. 196, 1934 CCPA LEXIS 159 (ccpa 1934).

Opinion

Hatfield, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is an appeal from a judgment of the United States Customs Court holding certain glass bottles and jars, some imported under the Tariff Act of 1922, and others under the Tariff Act of 1930, dutiable as assessed by the collector at the port of New York. Those imported under the Tariff Act of 1922 were assessed at 65 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 218 of that act, and those imported under the Tariff Act of 1930 were assessed at 85 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 218 (a) of that act.

The appeal involves three protests, which were consolidated for the purpose of the trial in the court below. ;

The merchandise involved in protest No. 291357-G (except that covered by entry No. 959124, as to which the protest was abandoned on the trial below) imported under the Tariff Act of 1922, is here claimed by appellant to be dutiable at the appropriate rate under paragraph 217 of that act. Other claims were made in that protest, "but they are not relied upon here, and, therefore, will not be discussed.

The merchandise involved in protests Nos. 569034-G and 573693-G was imported under the Tariff Act of 1930. Appellant has here limited his claims, so far as that merchandise is concerned, to the 75 per centum ad valorem rate provided in paragraph 218 (e). It is here claimed by appellant that the merchandise covered by protest No. 569034-G is properly dutiable at 75 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 218 (e) of that act. Due to the fact that appellant did not claim in protest No. 573693-G that the merchandise covered thereby was dutiable at the 75 per centum ad valorem rate of duty, its claims therein being limited, so far as paragraph 218 (e) is concerned, to the 25 per centum ad valorem rate therein provided, and as there is no evidence of record to establish that any of such merchandise was “produced by automatic machine”, the 25 per centum ad valorem rate being applicable only to merchandise so produced, counsel for appellant in their brief concede that, as to that merchandise, the judgment below should be affirmed.

[198]*198Paragraphs 217 and 218 of the Tariff Act of 1922, so far as pertinent, read as follows:

Par. 217. Plain green or colored, molded or pressed, and flint, lime, or lead glass bottles, vials, jars, and covered or uncovered demijohns, and carboys, any of the foregoing, filled or unfilled, not specially provided for, and whether their contents be dutiable or free (except such as contain merchandise subject to an ad valorem iate of duty, or to a rate of duty based in whole or in part upon the value thereof, which shall be dutiable at the rate applicable to their contents), shall pay duty as follows: If holding more than one pint, 1 cent per pound; if holding not more than one pint, and not less than one-fourth of a pint, cents per pound; if holding less than one-fourth of a,pint, 50,cen,ts per gróss: Provided, That the terms “bottles,” “vials,” “jars,” “demijohns,” and “carboys,” as used herein, shall be restricted to such articles when suitable for use and of the character ordinarily employed for the holding or transportation of merchandise, and not as appliances or implements in chemical or other operations, and shall not include bottles for table service and thermostatic bottles.
Par. 218. Biological, chemical, metallurgical, pharmaceutical, and surgical articles and utensils of all kinds, including all scientific articles, utensils, tubing, and rods, whether used for experimental purposes in hospitals, laboratories, schools or universities, colleges, or otherwise, all of the foregoing, finished or unfinished, composed wholly or in chief value of glass or paste, or a combination of glass and paste, 65 per centum ad valorem * * *.

Subparagraphs (a) and (e) of paragraph 218 of the Tariff Act of 1930, so far as pertinent to the issues here, read:

Par. 218. (a) Biological, chemical, metallurgical, pharmaceutical, and surgical articles and utensils of all kinds, including all scientific articles and utensils, whether used for experimental purposes in hospitals, laboratories, schools or universities, colleges, or otherwise, all the foregoing (except such articles provided foT in paragraph 217 or in subparagraph (e)), finished or unfinished, wholly or in chief value of glass, 85 per centum ad valorem .* * *.
(e) Bottles and jars, wholly or in chief value of glass, of the character used or designed to be used as containers of perfume, talcum powder, toilet water, or other toilet preparations; bottles, vials, and jars, wholly or in chief value of glass, fitted with or designed for use with ground-glass stoppers, when suitable for use and of the character ordinarily employed, for the holdng or transportation of merchandise; all the foregoing produced by automatic machine, 25 per centum ad valorem; .otherwise produced, 75 per centum ad valorem. For the purposes .of this sübparagraph no regard shall be had to the method of manufacture of the stoppers or covers.

On the trial below, counsel for appellant introduced in evidence Exhibits 1, 2, Collective Exhibit 3, and Exhibit 4, as illustrative, except as to size, of the involved merchandise.

The court below, in an opinion by Sullivan, J., fully and accurately described Exhibits 1, 2, and Collective Exhibit 3 as follows:

Exhibit 1 is a small bottle of clear uncolored glass with a round glass stopper. The inside of the neck of the bottle and the outside of the portion of the stopper that fits into the neck, are ground. This bottle is rather squat in appearance, and the particular sample in evidence is about 2% inches in diameter in the body which is of uniform diameter until it rounds at the top into the neck. The bot[199]*199tom is about 3)4 inches in height. The neck is about one inch in height and about three-fourths of an inch in diameter on the inside at the top, which tapers on the inside to a diameter of a trifle over half an inch. The stopper which is also tapered fits tightly into the neck of the bottle, and has a broad, round, flat top, projecting beyond the flaring lip at the top of the neck. Ground into the outside surface of the bottle are figures apparently indicating its capacity.
Exhibit 2 * * * appears to be more a jar than a bottle. Its dimensions slightly exceed those oí Exhibit 1. The mouth of the neck is considerably wider, being a trifle over an inch and a half in inside diameter at the top, tapering slightly to the body of the jar, which is slightly under iy2 inches in diameter inside. The stopper is of the same character as that of Exhibit 1, but considerably wider.

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22 C.C.P.A. 196, 1934 CCPA LEXIS 159, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/empire-laboratory-supply-co-v-united-states-ccpa-1934.