T. Buettner & Co. v. United States

3 Cust. Ct. 163, 1939 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1776
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedOctober 10, 1939
DocketC. D. 224
StatusPublished

This text of 3 Cust. Ct. 163 (T. Buettner & 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
T. Buettner & Co. v. United States, 3 Cust. Ct. 163, 1939 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1776 (cusc 1939).

Opinion

Cline, Judge:

These suits against the United States, arising at the port of Chicago, were consolidated for trial. The merchandise in issue consists of designs of tapestry stitches on ruled paper. The articles covered by protest 969207-G were classified as manufactures of paper and returned for duty at the rate of 35 per centum ad valorem under [164]*164paragraph 1413 of the Tariff Act of 1930, while those covered by protest 962960-G were classified as Jacquard designs on ruled paper and returned for duty at 35 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 1409. The appraiser’s report in the latter case indicates that the articles should have been returned at 35 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 1413.

It is claimed in the protests that the merchandise is dutiable at 20 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 1547 (b). The principal parts of the provisions herein involved read as follows:

Par. 1409. Jacquard designs on ruled paper, or cut on Jacquard cards, and parts of such, designs, 35 per centum ad valorem * * *.
Par. 1413. * * * manufactures of paper, or of which paper is the component material of chief value, not specially provided for, all the foregoing, 35 per centum ad valorem * * *.
Par. 1547. (b) Paintings in oil, mineral, water, or other colors, pastels, and drawings and sketches in pen and ink, pencil, or water color, any of the foregoing (whether or not works of art) suitable as designs for use in the manufacture of textiles, floor coverings, wall paper, or wall coverings, 20 per centum ad valorem.

The timely reports of the appraiser in the two cases constitute parts of the record. M. Pressner & Co. v. United States, 26 C. C. P. A. 186, C. A. D. 16. They read as follows:

Protest 962960-G. The merchandise in question consists of patterns or designs of tapestry stitches on paper, originally returned as Jacquard designs on ruled paper at 35% ad valorem under provisions of paragraph 1409 of the Tariff Act of 1930.
Subsequently sample submitted to the Customs Information Exchange by Examiner Seldon and same would now be advisorily classified under the provisions of paragraph 1413 at 35% as manufactures of paper not specially provided for.
Protest 969207-G. The merchandise in question consists of hand-painted designs on ruled paper for needlework stitches. Same was advisorily classified under the provisions of paragraph 1413 at 35% ad valorem as manufactures of paper.

At the trial a sample representing the shipments was introduced in evidence and marked “Exhibit 1.” It consists of an oblong sheet of heavy paper, 8% by 6% inches in dimension, in the center of which is printed an oblong diagram, 5% by 3% inches in dimension, with lines printed both horizontally and perpendicularly throughout, making •small squares over the entire surface, except a narrow space on each ■edge. In the center appears a colored pattern on the squares, making -an ornamental design in the center of the card. Below this design .and near the bottom of the squares appear five colored strips, the •colors being the same as those used in the design. At the top of the exhibit above the squares appears the following:

Tapestry Stitch on 3377 Canvas Hand Painted Design No. 5591. Made especially for T. BUETTNER & CO. INC., CHICAGO, ILL.
Use NUN’S Mothproof Yarn, Art. 100 and Art. 101.

[165]*165Henry B,. Hantke was called as a witness for the plaintiff. He testified that he is the manager of the import department of T. Buett-ner & Co.; that the business of the firm is importing goods for the needlework trade and selling needlework materials; that Exhibit 1 is used as a guide or pattern to be worked on cotton canvas by hand needlework; that when completed the pattern will cover the entire surface of the canvas, using wool yarn of the colors shown in the design; that the material when completed is used to cover a chair, footstool, or couch cover; that the pattern on Exhibit 1 is not large enough to cover a chair or stool but it is repeated again and again on the canvas until the whole surface is covered with the design; that his firm sells these cards (Exhibit 1) and.materials for making the complete fabric; that the needlework on the canvas when completed is called “gros point.”

The witness produced a sample of the canvas upon which the needlework is stitched in making the completed fabrics and it was marked “Illustrative Exhibit A.” It consists of a plain woven stiff fabric having small oblong open spaces throughout the entire surface. The exhibit appears to be of the same character and to be used in the same way as the canvas described in United States v. Field & Co., 10 Ct. Cust. Appls. 183, T. D. 38550, and United States v. John Wanamaker, 16 Ct. Cust. Appls. 548, T. D. 43266. In those cases the canvas was used as a foundation fabric for embroidery in making tapestries.

The question before the court is whether ruled paper or cards having designs painted thereon in water colors are “suitable as designs for use in the manufacture of textiles,” within the meaning of that provision in paragraph 1547 (b). There was a great deal of litigation concerning the classification of designs for use in making textiles, etc., under the Tariff Act of 1922, the principal question involved being whether or not the designs were works of art. In some cases the designs were held free of duty as original paintings, drawings, or sketches under paragraph 1704, citing Cheney Bros. v. United States, Abstract 49369, 47 Treas. Dec. 1064; Hans Frick v. United States, Abstract 1391, 50 Treas. Dec. 790; Cheney Bros. v. United States, Abstract 9081, 56 Treas. Dec. 707; Elms & Sellon v. United States, Abstract 10213, 56 Treas. Dec. 905; Robert Ernst v. United States, Abstract 8684, 55 Treas. Dec. 1147. In other cases the designs were held dutiable at 20 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 1449, citing Elms & Sellon v. United States, Abstract 9082, 56 Treas. Dec. 707; Dornbusch Agency, Inc., v. United States, Abstract 16933, 60 Treas. Dec. 1193. In other cases the industrial designs were held dutiable as manufactures of paper under paragraph 1313 at 35 per centum ad valorem, citing Klingenstein Bros. & Co. v. United States, Abstract 52019, 49 Treas. Dec. 1268; H. Maisch Bitschenauer v. United States, Abstract [166]*166309, 50 Treas. Dec. 612; United Piece Dye Works v. United States, Abstract 1677, 51 Treas. Dec. 1033; Marshall Field & Co. v. United States, Abstract 5962, 53 Treas. Dec. 1010. In H. W. Robinson & Co. v. United States, Abstract 9083, 56 Treas. Dec. 707, such, designs in water colors were held dutiable as drawings at 25 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 1310.

The decision in Cheney Bros. v. United States, Abstract 49369, supra, was called to the attention of Congress in a pamphlet printed for use of the Committee on Ways and Means in the House of Representatives when the bill which became the Tariff Act of 1930 was before the House.

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Related

Sloane v. United States
7 Ct. Cust. 463 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1917)
United States v. Field & Co.
10 Ct. Cust. 183 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1920)
United States v. Wanamaker
16 Ct. Cust. 548 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1929)

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Bluebook (online)
3 Cust. Ct. 163, 1939 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1776, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/t-buettner-co-v-united-states-cusc-1939.