Geo. M. Graves Co. v. United States

6 Cust. Ct. 344, 1941 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 81
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedMay 8, 1941
DocketC. D. 493
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 6 Cust. Ct. 344 (Geo. M. Graves Co. 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
Geo. M. Graves Co. v. United States, 6 Cust. Ct. 344, 1941 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 81 (cusc 1941).

Opinion

DalliNGEr, Judge:

These are suits against the United States, arising at the port of Boston, brought to recover certain customs duties alleged to have been improperly exacted on particular importations of Fourdrinier wire screens of 25-mesh for use in Four-drinier machines. Duty was levied thereon at the rate of 75 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 318 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the Presidential Proclamation promulgated in T. D. 44745, 59 Treas. Dec. 701, which increased the original tariff rate of duty under said paragraph from 50 to 75 per centum ad valorem applicable to “Fourdrinier wires suitable for use in paper making machines.” It is claimed that said articles are properly dutiable at the rate of 27K per centum ad valorem under paragraph 372 of said act as parts of machines not specially provided for.

At the first hearing, held at Boston on December 9, 1940, before Brown, Judge, a representative sample of a portion of the imported merchandise was admitted in evidence herein as exhibit 1. In addition, the plaintiff offered in evidence the testimony of two witnesses. The first, A. G. MacIntyre, a qualified chemical engineer in the paper industry since 1912, testified that he had designed, built, and managed five paper mills in the United States and Canada; that he was at one time the head of the Forests Products Laboratory, the technical laboratory of the paper industry in. this country and Canada; that he had been in every paper mill in the United States; and that he was a charter member of the Technical Association of the Paper and Pulp Industry, which has to do with establishing standards for the paper industry in the United States.

After explaining the function of a Fourdrinier machine and of Fourdrinier wire screens as parts of such machines, the witness testified in part as follows: ■

Q. Do you know what is meant by 25 mesh Fourdrinier wire? — A. Yes.
Q. What does that mean? — A. The meshes are the same as wire cloth.
Q. 25 apertures to the inch? — A. Yes.
Q. Do you know what “single twisted” means? — A. Yes.
Q. What does that mean? — A. As against straight wire meshed or woven, you may'weave it with a twisted wire.
Q. I show you Exhibit 1 in this case. Does that meet your description of 25 mesh single twisted? — A. It is approximately 25 I would say, and it is single twisted.
Q. Would a machine fitted with Fourdrinier wire of that particular mesh, would that be suitable for paper making? — A. No.
Q. Did you ever see 25 mesh Fourdrinier wire used to make paper? — A. Not to make paper, no.
Q. What do you make with Fourdrinier wire of that particular mesh? — A. We make felt. * * *.
[346]*346Q. I show you Illustrative Exhibit B, in Protest 642624-G of this Court, which by incorporation became part of Suit 4150, and was decided by the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals in Customs Appeal Decision No. 8, and ask you to examine that sample. — A. Yes, sir.
Q. I think the record showed that was 28 mesh, was supposed to represent 28 mesh wire. After examining that Exhibit, and Exhibit 1 in this case, from your knowledge of these articles as- to their construction, and as to their size', and as to their use, would you say they are similar? — A. Oh yes. There is a little difference in the twist.
Q. In other words, one would be used in the same place as the other, and one would be not used in any place where the other could not, is that right? — A. That is right.

On cross-examination the witness testified in part as follows:

X Q. Did you have an opportunity to observe the manufacture of' the roofing paper? — A. Yes.
X Q. Did you see what mesh wire they used? — A. Yes, sir.
[[Image here]]
X Q. What mesh did they use? — A. 25 mesh, in making roofing felt.
X Q. I asked you did you ever see roofing paper manufactured? Yes or no?— A. Yes, sir, but not on the Fourdrinier—
X Q. What? — A. Not on the Fourdrinier machine.
X Q. You have never seen roofing paper made on a Fourdrinier machine?— A. That is right.
[[Image here]]
X Q. Am I correct in understanding that you distinguish between roofing paper 'and roofing felt, in that roofing paper is further processed,, and manufactured from roofing felt, is that correct? — -A. Yes, sir.
[[Image here]]
X Q. Now I referred a few moments a-go to the Dictionary of Paper, published under the auspices of the American Paper and Pulp Association, and I believe you told me you considered it an authority. Will you please look at the definition of Fourdrinier Wire, directing your attention particularly to that part which reference is made to roofing, insulating and wrapping papers? What does that disclose as the various meshes of Fourdrinier wires used in the manufacture of roofing, insulating and wrapping papers? — -A. 18 to 70.
X Q. Mesh? — A. Yes.

On redirect examination the witness testified in part as follows:

R. Q. Is that statement accurate Mr. MacIntyre, in your experience? — A.wIt is accurate, but it needs some qualification. They do not mean you can take any of these papers, and use only 18 to 70 wires. Taking the roofing paper, you use a 25 mesh. You might use a coarse wrapping, that does not have any of the required things, such as color, sizing, etc. You could use such a coarse wire for that, but it is a mat.
R. Q. That is not strictly a paper? — A. No, that is a matting. * * *
R. Q. Getting back to Exhibit 1, could you make paper from wire of that type?— A. No, not paper.
R. Q. You spoke about felt? — A. Yes, you could make felt.
R. Q. Is felt, paper? — A. No, no more than I was going to say any more than chicken wire is not a sheet of steel; felt is not paper.

[347]*347On recross-examination the witness testified in part as follows:

R. X Q. So technically and strictly speaking, whether you use 70 mesh or 10 mesh, you have not got paper at the end of the Fourdrinier machine? — A. No, but you have something that will make paper.
R. X Q. But it is not paper when it leaves the Fourdrinier machine, it is not paper at that time? — A. That is right.

The second witness, Rexford H. Salisbury, assistant superintendent in the employ of Bird & Son of East Walpole, Mass., manufacturers of various kinds of felt, testified in part as follows:

Q. You stated Mr. Salisbury, you .had observed the operations in your East Walpole Plant? — A. I have.
Q. Have you seen them make paper in that plant? — A. I have.
Q. ■ With the use of ‘Fourdrinier wires? — A. Yes, sir.
Q.

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Related

F. W. Myers & Co. v. United States
59 Cust. Ct. 82 (U.S. Customs Court, 1967)

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Bluebook (online)
6 Cust. Ct. 344, 1941 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 81, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/geo-m-graves-co-v-united-states-cusc-1941.