Guy B. Barham Co. v. Unites States

30 Cust. Ct. 140, 1953 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 21
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedApril 1, 1953
DocketC. D. 1512
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 30 Cust. Ct. 140 (Guy B. Barham Co. v. Unites 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
Guy B. Barham Co. v. Unites States, 30 Cust. Ct. 140, 1953 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 21 (cusc 1953).

Opinion

Johnson, Judge:

The merchandise in question in this action, consists of certain pottery imported from Mexico. Duty was assessed [141]*141thereon under the provisions of paragraph 211 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the trade agreement with Mexico, T. D. 60797, providing, so far as: applicable, as follows:

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The plaintiff claims that the merchandise is properly dutiable under the provisions of paragraph 210 of said act, as amended^by said trade agreement, T. D. 50797, providing as follows:

John Arconti testified that he was the plaintiff and the sole owner of the importing firm and that he personally purchased the morchan-[142]*142dise in question in Mexico and had observed similar merchandise made in the place of purchase for a period of over 2 weeks. Two entries are involved in this action. The invoices included in these entries list many lands of articles. However, none of the items appear in the English language upon the invoices. Samples were produced at the trial by the importer and marked in evidence for identification as exhibits 1 to 8, inclusive. The importer was then shown exhibit 2 for identification and asked if there was any merchandise similar thereto on either of the two invoices. The witness identified it oh invoice as “opacos” and testified that it appeared under the name “Anforas grandes.” Exhibit 7 was later described by him as having been painted, fired, and polished with sandpaper or pumice stone to shine it up, and that such ware appeared on the invoice as “bruñido.” He testified that exhibits 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 were made in the same manner as exhibit 2 except for a difference in the cooking; that exhibit 2 was painted with water colors, without further firing, while the remainder of the articles had the same type of coloring, except that they had been fired and polished. With the exception of exhibits 2 and 7, none of the other samples was identified by invoice descriptions. However, counsel for the plaintiff offered all of the exhibits for identification in evidence, stating:

Mr. Gulick has suggested that I offer all of these at this time as plaintiff's exhibits. I make that offer at this time.

Counsel for the Government entered “no objection” to the offer and the items were marked in evidence. Although there is no evidence that any of the items admitted were a part of the imported articles, since Mr. Gulick, a customs official at the port of Los Angeles, and the Government counsel consented to the inclusion thereof as a part of the record, it is presumed that such exhibits represent the various types of articles imported. The exhibits may be described as follows:

Exhibit 1 is an 8-inch plate. The top side thereof is glazed, after having received a brownish-colored slip or engobe decorated with various designs in tan and green. The bottom of the plate shows a reddish tint, and where the plate is broken, it is observed that the interior portions of the ware are of a lighter tan.

Exhibit 2 consists of five broken pieces of pottery. The pieces on one side are decorated with blue, green, white, and red designs. No glaze appears thereon and the background of the broken article, upon the surfaces, appears to be the same color as the interior of the pieces, except' the center of such cross-section which is very dark gray or black in color. The article, whatever it represented, is primitive in design and workmanship.

Exhibit 3 is a water carafe, a very light gray-colored article, having various decorations on the upper portion. Although the exterior of the vessel is practically the same color as the interior, it appears to be [143]*143a trifle lighter shade and is much smoother in texture, presenting the appearance of having a light film of material over it before it had been fired.

Exhibit 4 represents what apparently was originally, before being broken, a water pitcher. It appears to be made of the same light-gray clay as exhibit 3, and the outer surfaces are decorated with brownish-red designs. Although the interior surfaces of the article ■are quite rough, the outer surface background thereof appears to have a light film of material over it, making it much smoother and presenting a finished gloss similar to exhibit 3, although it is not glazed.

Exhibit 5 is a pig bank composed of what appears to be the same light-gray clay as exhibit 3. It has been decorated on the outside to represent the markings of a pig, certain portions thereof have been colored yellow, and the article is glazed.

Exhibit 6 is a small enclosed pot, having a handle on top, a short ■spout on one side, and on the reverse side a small hole about a half inch in diameter. It appears to be made of the same material as exhibit 3, is decorated in the same manner as exhibit 4, and has the same smooth finish.

Exhibit 7 is a small flower pot having three short legs. It appears to be made of the same grayish clay as exhibit 3. The outer surfaces are decorated in various colors and designs and have the same smooth finish as exhibit'3.

Exhibit 8 is a small one-cup sized carafe. It appears to be made of a grayish-brown clay, the outer surfaces being decorated in conventional designs of various-colored browns, and has a smooth glossy finish similar to exhibit 3.

The witness described the samples as follows: Exhibit 1 is a plate to eat from, exhibit 2 is a water container, exhibits 3 and 4 are used to dispense water, exhibit 5 is a savings bank, exhibit 6 is a water bottle, exhibit 7 is a flower pot, and exhibit 8 is a water bottle. The witness had seen the articles similar to exhibit 3 used as a water bottle in Tucson and similar to exhibit 6 used in a Chinese laundry to blow water on clothes. He had never observed any of the items used on a mantelpiece or a knickknack cabinet for decorative purposes.

The record in the case of Arconti Hardware Co. v. United States, 73 Treas. Dec. 833, T. D. 49573, was incorporated in the record in this case by consent of counsel for-both sides, and the same witness, who testified in this case, also testified in the incorporated record. Government counsel cross-examined the witness upon the record in that case.

The testimony of John Arconti in this case and on cross-examination in the incorporated case relative to the source of the clay, the clay itself, and the method of manufacture, is somewhat contradictory. It may be summed up as follows: The clay is gathered from the closest [144]*144river to the homes of the house-workers. Such workers gather clay from river banks in big pieces in sacks. “They each gather their clay from their back yards, which would be in the washes. See, those-yards extend right to the wash.” The Tlaquepaque pit was described as “in the whole State of Jalisco, not just the city of Tlaquepaque.”' The clay is gathered in any part of the State of Jalisco, it is the same-type of black clay, and such “pits are not small pits, like we would imagine they would be; they are large pits.” “This clay is taken from one pit which is only one color, or the other * * * whichever pit it comes from,” but in the same pit one may obtain 15 shades of red, 15 shades of gray, and 15 shades of white, according to the amount of iron that is gathered in the clay, and the natives bring the clays in that way. “When we speak of black that does not necessarily mean black as black as could be; your gray has shades of grays also.

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Bluebook (online)
30 Cust. Ct. 140, 1953 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 21, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/guy-b-barham-co-v-unites-states-cusc-1953.