United States v. Butler Bros.

33 C.C.P.A. 22, 1945 CCPA LEXIS 497
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedMay 24, 1945
DocketNo. 4488
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 33 C.C.P.A. 22 (United States v. Butler Bros.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Customs and Patent Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Butler Bros., 33 C.C.P.A. 22, 1945 CCPA LEXIS 497 (ccpa 1945).

Opinion

Hatfield, Judge,

delivered tbe opinion of the court:

This is an appeal from a judgment of the United States Customs Court, Third Division, holding certain china bonbon or candy dishes dutiable as ornamented or decorated chinaware at 70 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 212 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as claimed by the importer (appellee), rather than as tableware at 70 per centum ad valorem and 10 cents per dozen separate pieces under that paragraph, as assessed by the collector at the port of New York.

Paragraph 212 reads:

Par. 212. China, porcelain, and other vitrified wares, including chemical porcelain ware and chemical stoneware, composed of a vitrified nonabsorbent [24]*24body which, when broken shows a vitrified or vitreous, or semivitrified or semi-vitreous fracture, and all bisque and parían wares, including clock cases with or without movements, plaques, pill tiles, ornaments, charms, vases, statues, statuettes, mugs, cups, steins, lamps, and all other articles composed wholly or in chief value of such ware, plain white, not painted, colored, tinted, stained, enameled, gilded, printed, or ornamented or decorated in any manner, and manufactures in chief value of such ware, not specially provided for, 60 per centum ad valorem; painted, colored, tinted, stained, enameled, gilded, printed, or ornamented or decorated in any manner, and manufactures in chief value of such ware, not specially provided for, 70 per centum ad valorem. In addition to the foregoing there shall be paid a duty of 10 cents per dozen separate pieces on all tableware, kitchenware, and table and kitchen utensils.

A sample of the imported merchandise was introduced in evidence as plaintiff’s Exhibit No. 2. It consists of a china dish, having a wicker handle composed of bamboo. The dish, substantially in the shape of a saucer, is approximately 6 inches in width and is decorated with a floral design. The handle is attached to the dish through holes pierced on either side substantially below the rim.

On the trial in the court below, the record in the case of Butler Bros. v. United States, 6 Cust. Ct. 444, C. D. 512, was made a part of the record in the instant case, and it was agreed by counsel for the parties that the merchandise there involved was similar to the merchandise involved in the instant case, except for the size and shape of the dishes.

The merchandise involved in that case is represented by Exhibit No. 1, which consists of a china bowl having a wicker handle composed of bamboo. The bowl has scalloped edges, is approximately 7% inches wide and 2% inches deep, and is decorated with a floral design. The handle is attached to the bowl through holes on opposite sides of the dish approximately % inch below the rim.

Counsel for the parties agree that the evidence contained in the incorporated record was accurately summarized in the trial court’s decision in that case. We quote therefrom:

At the trial of this case nine witnesses testified for the plaintiffs. The first witness identified the sample as a part of the shipment in question and the remainder of the witnesses, all well qualified to testify as to the use of the articles in question and as to the manner in which they were bought and sold, were all agreed that the bonbon dishes in question were never used on the table in the service of meals, that they were never bought and sold as tableware or kitchenware and that the bonbon dishes were of the character of articles seen used upon an end table or occasional table for holding candy or nuts and passed around during the evening among guests, and that the articles are not of the character of tableware used upon the dining table during a meal or in the kitchen.
The defendant called two witnesses, the first a commercial witness, who testified that he had seen articles such as here in question used in the home as candy or fruit dishes “on tables,” that he had seen them in different places in the home, such as in the living room and on dining-room tables, end tables, occasional tables, bridge tables, but he admitted, however, that he had never seen them used in connection with the service of meals.
The examiner of merchandise testified for the Government that it had been the practice for 5 years to advisorily classify bonbon dishes as not included in table[25]*25ware or kitchenware and he followed that classification in his advisory notations although it was his personal belief at that time that the article consisted of tableware and at the present time such articles are classified as tableware in accordance with a bureau letter and T. D. 48935.

The court pointed out in its decision in that case that counsel for the Government contended that if the articles there involved were not dutiable as tableware or kitchenware, they were properly dutiable under the provision for “table and kitchen utensils.” The court held that the merchandise there involved was not for table use in the serving of meals, and, therefore, was not within the common meaning of the term “tableware.” The court then quoted dictionary definitions of the term “utensil” and stated that the merchandise there in question was not within the common meaning of that term, that the term “utensil” embraced only such articles as were “utilized in performing work or producing an effect, such as in the preparation of food or drink,” and, accordingly, held that the merchandise was not-subject to the additional duty of 10 cents per dozen separate pieces under paragraph 212, supra.

In the instant case, counsel for the importer (appellee) called no witnesses, but relied upon the evidence in the incorporated record.

Counsel for the Government submitted the testimony of three witnesses. ,

The witness Harry J. Moscovitz, testifying for the Government, stated that he was the New York representative of the Paden City Pottery Co. of Paden City, West Virginia; that he had represented that company for over 25 years, during which time he had been selling “Dinnerware, tableware”; that he had sold articles similar to Exhibits 1 and 2, except that they had no handles; that he had seen articles similar to Exhibit 1, but without wicker handles, used in his home and in the home of a friend in New York City; that he had seen a dish without the wicker handle, otherwise similar to Exhibit 1, used for serving cereal and soup on “various tables, such as bridge tables, and even on dining room tables, kitchen tables, even an end table”; that he had seen articles similar to Exhibit 2, but without wicker handles, used as bread and butter dishes; and that he had seen dishes like Exhibits 1 and 2, with wicker handles, used for nuts and condiments of all kinds after dinner on dining-room tables and bridge tables. The witness further stated that at the time of the taking of his testimony he had a dish on his dining-room table similar to Exhibit 1, except that it had no handle. When asked whether he had ever had a dish similar to Exhibit 1 with a handle attached thereto on his dining-room table, he stated “Oh, I wouldn’t say never.”

The Government’s witness Michael J. George stated that he was a New York sales representative of the Sebring Pottery Co. of Sebring, Ohio; that he sold dinnerware; that he had seen articles similar to Exhibits 1 and 2, without handles, used over a period of 25 years; that he [26]*26bad' seen articles similar to Exhibit 1, without handles,

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Related

National Silver Co. v. United States
48 Cust. Ct. 424 (U.S. Customs Court, 1962)
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46 Cust. Ct. 545 (U.S. Customs Court, 1961)

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Bluebook (online)
33 C.C.P.A. 22, 1945 CCPA LEXIS 497, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-butler-bros-ccpa-1945.