Sherbrook Distributing Co. v. United States

15 Cust. Ct. 26, 1945 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 474
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedJune 27, 1945
DocketC. D. 935
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 15 Cust. Ct. 26 (Sherbrook Distributing 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
Sherbrook Distributing Co. v. United States, 15 Cust. Ct. 26, 1945 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 474 (cusc 1945).

Opinion

Keefe, Judge:

The importation before us consists of rye and bourbon whiskies each in 30 barrels. The plaintiff claims that excessive duties or taxes were collected upon the whiskies because a greater quantity than imported was used as the basis of the collector's calculations. Various additional claims were made in the protest, none of them being waived.

The invoice and entry papers disclose that duty was assessed upon .the whiskies at the rate of $5 per proof gallon, under paragraph 802, Tariff Act of 1930, upon the basis of the capacity of the casks, less 2% per centum for normal outage, rather than upon the basis of the net quantity as invoiced or entered, or as ascertained by the Government gauger.

The quantities shown on the invoice are as follows: 1,300.15 proof gallons of rye and 1,409.07 proof gallons of bourbon, together equalling 2,709.22 proof gallons. The Government gauger reported 1,376.87 proof gallons of rye and 1,486.38 proof gallons of bourbon, a total of 2,863.25 proof gallons, and an excess of 154.03 proof gallons over the [27]*27invoiced quantity. The collector, however, based the duty upon the capacity of the casks, less 2% per centum for outage, to wit, 1,889.17 proof gallons of rye and 1,915.02 proof gallons of bourbon, a total of 3,804.19 proof gallons or 1,094.97 proof gallons of whisky in excess of the exported quantity.

The invoice and entry papers further disclose that the whiskies were exported by the Consolidated Distilleries, Ltd., of Montreal, Canada, from its distillery at Belleville on January 18, 1934, and were entered under an immediate transportation entry at Port Huron on January 20. The whiskies were regularly entered by the plaintiff on January 24, 1934, 6 days after shipment. Attached to the invoice and entry papers as forwarded by the collectors to the court is a “packing list” bearing a notation upon the bottom thereof as follows: “This Packing List forms part of Consular Invoice No. 373.” Upon this list appears the number of each package, the gross weight, the tare weight, and net weight thereof, and also the quantity of American wine gallons and American proof gallons contained in each package. Two “Detail Lists” also attached to the entry papers show the specifications of contents of theyye and the bourbon whiskies.

At the trial George Drummond, foreman blender and gauger for the Consolidated Distilleries, Ltd., and Clifford H. Petersen, deputy collector in charge of the port of Cincinnati, who, at the time of this importation, was the gauger of the whiskies in question, testified on behalf of the plaintiff, also the plaintiff’s representative who purchased the whiskies in Canada. Witnesses Drummond and Petersen testified in the case of Kolmar, Inc. v. United States, 13 Cust. Ct. 134, C. D. 884, relative to an importation of whiskies wherein the issue was on all fours with the question here presented. Their testimony in this case is substantially the same as in the Kolmar case. It is established here, as in the Kolmar case, beyond any question of doubt, that the 60 barrels of whisky were purposely filled approximately three-quarters full of whisky; that the whisky had been in the Canadian warehouse since 1928 and because of normal shrinkage during that period the barrels were only partly Ml; that in- order to obtain the quantities of whisky in each of these barrels they were emptied into a tank attached to a scale and the whisky contents were weighed in the presence of a Canadian excise officer, who certified to the findings; the empty barrels were weighed individually; the whisky after weighing was returned to the barrel so that each barrel was approximately three-quarters full; and then each barrel with its contents was weighed. The gross weight, the tare weight, and the net weight were stenciled on each barrel. There also appeared stenciled thereon the number of the barrel, the quantities of American wine gallons, and American proof gallons comprising the contents, and such stenciled portion corresponded to the. data on the packing lists.

[28]*28Witness Drummond testified that tte weight method of gauging which he used to obtain the exported quantities was much more accurate than the rod method of gauging. This was substantiated by the Government weigher, who testified that he used the rod method of gauging because that was in accordance with the regulations at the time of gauging, and in his opinion the weight method of gauging was much more accurate because the barrels are not perfect cylinders and there is a lot of room for error, whereas in the weight method, regardless of irregularities, the weight will be the same.

The plaintiffs representative testified that he had purchased the whiskies in question and had instructed the shipper to forward the barrels in their partly filled condition as he desired to have the original aged-in-the-wood barrels; that outside'of obtaining additional cooperage because of the shortage of barrels in the United States, the partially filled barrels were desired because, under Government regulations, an importer of whisky is prohibited from claiming age for whisky unless it is the original aged-in-the-wood whisky. The witness further testifies that the 60 barrels of whiskies cost $11,866.38 for 2,709.22 gallons at the rate of $4.38 per proof gallon, as shown on the invoice, and such was the sum he paid for the same.

The three witnesses for plaintiff were unanimous in testifying that the barrels were perfectly sound and in good condition at the time they were shipped from Canada and received in the United States. In fact, there is no conflict of testimony, and all were agreed there was an absence of breakage, leakage, or damage. Nor does the plaintiff contend for an allowance, constructive or otherwise, because of any loss from such causes.

The documentary evidence admitted at the trial consists of collective exhibit 1, a packing list dated January 17, 1934, certified as a true copy of record by.the Canadian excise officer, and the original weight sheets showing the penciled figures made at the time of weighing by witness Drummond. Exhibit 2 is the Canadian entry for export, noting the quantities exported, and that said packages were checked and sealed in car No. C. V. 83471 on January 17, 1934, by an officer of the National Revenue. Exhibits 3 and 4 consist of copies of the weigher’s report to the collector of the gauge by the rod method of the whiskies in question. Exhibit 6 is a copy of the immediate transportation entry, showing that the shipment left Belleville on January 18, arrived at Port Huron on January 19, and was entered for transportation on January 20, 1934. Exhibit 6 is the dock book used by Mr. Petersen to record his findings in measuring the barrels by the rod method.

It was stipulated and agreed between counsel for the parties hereto as follows:

* * * that a Packing List, pertaining to the 60 barrels of Whiskey in suit, such as the one which constitutes a part of Collective Exhibit 1 herein, was before-[29]*29the liquidator at the time Warehouse Entry No. 70, covered by said protest, was liquidated September 22, 1934.

The plaintiff contends that it is not lawful to assess duty upon the full capacity of the casks, less 2!/2 per centum, when the quantity actually contained in the casks was the quantity ordered, the quantity shipped, and the quantity the importer paid for.

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Related

Protest 810124-G of Kolmar, Inc.
16 Cust. Ct. 280 (U.S. Customs Court, 1946)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
15 Cust. Ct. 26, 1945 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 474, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sherbrook-distributing-co-v-united-states-cusc-1945.