G. Hirsch Sons, Inc. v. United States

28 Cust. Ct. 29, 1951 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 759
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedDecember 27, 1951
DocketC. D. 1384
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 28 Cust. Ct. 29 (G. Hirsch Sons, Inc. 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
G. Hirsch Sons, Inc. v. United States, 28 Cust. Ct. 29, 1951 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 759 (cusc 1951).

Opinion

Ford, Judge:

This suit was filed by the plaintiff seeking to recover a certain sum of money alleged to have been illegally exacted as customs duties upon an importation of religious emblems. The merchandise was classified as “Kayon ornaments” and duty levied thereon at the rate of 90 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 1529 (a) of the Tariff Act of 1930. Plaintiff claims said merchandise to be properly dutiable at the rate of 45 cents per pound plus 45 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 1308 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the French Trade Agreement, 69 Treas. Dec. 853, T. D. 48316, as fabrics with fast edges, not exceeding 12 inches in width, wholly or in chief value of rayon or other synthetic textile, not specially provided for.

At the trial, a representative sample of the involved merchandise was admitted in evidence without objection, and it was then agreed between counsel that it was in chief value of rayon, less than 12 inches in width, and that it has fast edges.

The sample admitted in evidence as exhibit 1 is approximately 7 inches square, in the center of which, by use of a different color of thread, have been produced the letters “I. H. S.” The letters “I” and “S” are approximately 2}i inches in height, while the letter “H” is approximately 3 inches in height. It also appears that the involved merchandise is imported in running lengths of approximately 50 meters with a line of demarcation in those running lengths between one symbol and the repeat symbol consisting of about one-quarter of an inch of blank weave, which is used as a marker for the cutter.

The president of the plaintiff testified that his company had been engaged in the importation and sale of gold and silver trimmings and fabrics for 62 years; that his company sells the involved merchandise in lengths and also in individual pieces; that the merchandise is sold as emblems, that it has never been sold by his company as ornaments, and that it has always been sold to ecclesiastical organizations; that he did not know what his customers used the merchandise for, except that he had seen it used on church vestments at various dealers and manufacturers of church vestments; that he had also seen the merchandise used on altar cloths and ecclesiastical drapes. The witness [31]*31also testified tbat the letters “I. H. S.” represented the words “IHave Suffered.”

The second witness who testified for the plaintiff was associated with the Holy Land Art Co. since 1922 and was the principal owner thereof, which company had been and was engaged entirely in the manufacture and sale of vestments and altar hangings. He stated that his company had used thousands of pieces of merchandise like exhibit 1; that this merchandise is purchased under the description mainly of an emblem, but also under the name of medallion and vessica; that his company uses it on the back of vestments and on altars; that these vestments and altar hangings are used mostly by the Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church, and other Protestant denominations, “but they don’t use I. H. S., but they use other symbols.” As to the reason for using exhibit 1, the witness stated that “I would say it is traditional; that most people who go to these churches are so used to them that these emblems are part of the religious service, I would say.” The witness also gave several explanations of the meaning of the letters I. H. S.

The witness further testified that he would use exhibit 1 if the letters I. H. S. were missing therefrom; that he would use a fabric or article that had letters other than I. H. S. thereon; that exhibit 1 would be put on a vestment or an altar hanging primarily for its religious symbolism; that he had never bought merchandise like exhibit 1 as an ornament; that he knew of no requirement of any religious order that exhibit 1 be used on a vestment. “I know it is not necessary to have this symbolism.” When the witness was asked whether exhibit 1 had any other purpose than that of decoration or ornamentation, he answered: “No, six'”; that there are vestments and chasubles that are made up without the I. H. S.; some of them bear a cross; some of them bear a biblical picture woven on the back. ,

In response to a question by the court, the witness stated that on occasions he had seen articles like exhibit 1 used on other than ecclesiastical vestments, but that in all instances their use had a religious significance.

Counsel for the defendant, through its only witness, offered and there was admitted in evidence as defendant’s illustrative exhibit A, pages 214 to 225, inclusive, of the current annual catalog of the Edward O’Toole Co. The witness then testified that the business of the Edward O’Toole Co. was church supplies, and that it sells throughout the United States at both retail and wholesale; that its catalog is distributed to the clergy, to religious dealers, and to religious schools and convents throughout the United States; that in addition to the use of exhibit 1 on chasubles, he had seen it used on antependi'a, which is the cloth that hangs below the altar from mensa to the ground; that he had also seen it used on altar covers, felt altar covers, and on the drapes in back of an altar and on banners.'

[32]*32Tbe witness then testified that he had studied for 4%'years for the priesthood and stated that from his knowledge and studies of theology and his experience, he knew of absolutely no church law requiring the use of the symbol appearing on exhibit 1, and that to his knowledge it serves no other purpose than that of ornamentation and decoration; that according to his understanding of the word “symbolic,” he would not regard exhibit 1 as a religious symbol, but that he would regard it as a religious emblem or a decoration; that the commonly accepted version of the letters I. H. S. appearing on exhibit 1 is “Jesus the Saviour of Mankind.”

Upon this record, counsel for plaintiff contends that exhibit 1 is not within the term “ornaments” in paragraph 1529 of the Tariff Act of 1930, and counsel for defendant contends that exhibit 1 is an ornament within the meaning of that term as used in paragraph 1529, supra, since it serves no utilitarian or essential purpose, but is purely ornamental and decorative.

As supporting its position herein, counsel for plaintiff relies upon the Summary of Tariff Information, 1929; Robinson-Goodman Co. (Inc.) v. United States, 17 C. C. P. A. (Customs) 149, T. D. 43473; Paramount Bead Corp. v. United States, 19 C. C. P. A. (Customs) 385, T. D. 45522; and United States v. Blefeld & Goodfriend, 24 C. C. P. A. (Customs) 213, T. D. 48658.

In the Summary of Tariff Information, above referred to, it is stated that the articles covered by paragraph 1430 of the Tariff Act of 1922, the predecessor of paragraph 1529 of the Tariff Act of 1930, are used mainly in making or ornamenting women’s wearing apparel, although some are used for upholstery or other purposes. In said Summary of Tariff Information also appears the following:

Ornaments include motifs or patterns, also, by Treasury decisions, artificial flowers, for attaching or appliquéing to a fabric for ornamentation.

It is to be noted that the first statement in the Summary of Tariff Information refers to articles covered by paragraph 1430 of the Tariff Act of 1922. Said paragraph 1430 mentions eo nomine some 25 different articles or items.

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Related

Baylis Bros. Inc. v. United States
60 Cust. Ct. 336 (U.S. Customs Court, 1968)
G. Hirsch Sons, Inc. v. United States
31 Cust. Ct. 346 (U.S. Customs Court, 1953)

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Bluebook (online)
28 Cust. Ct. 29, 1951 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 759, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/g-hirsch-sons-inc-v-united-states-cusc-1951.