United States v. Field

7 Ct. Cust. 430, 1917 CCPA LEXIS 15
Court of Customs and Patent Appeals·Decided January 22, 1917·No. No. 1767; No. 1769·Published·Cited by 8 cases

Opinion

Martin, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

The merchandise in this case consists of embroidered fans composed in chief value of silk. They were assessed with duty at the rate of 60 per cent ad valorem under the provision for “articles * * * embroidered in any manner * * * by whatever name known,” in paragraph 358 of the tariff act of 1913.

The importers protested, claiming assessment of the merchandise at the rate of 50 per cent ad valorem under the provision'for “fans of all kinds, except common palm-leaf fans" contained in paragraph 349 of the act.

The protest was submitted to the Board of General Appraisers and was sustained. The Government appeals.

The following are the competing tariff provisions above cited:

349. Fans of all kinds, except common palm-leaf fans, 50 per centum ad valorem.
358. * * * Embroideries, wearing apparel, handkerchiefs, and all articles or fabrics embroidered in any maimer by hand or machinery, whether with a plain or fancy initial, monogram, or otherwise, or tamboured, appliqued, or scalloped by hand or machinery, any of the foregoing by whatever name known; ⅞ * ⅜ 60 per centum ad valorem.

There is no question of fact involved in the present case. The sole issue is one of legal construction, to wit, whether under the tariff act of 1913 embroidered silk fans are dutiable under the foregoing provision for “fans of all kinds, except common palm-leaf fans,” or [431] under the provision for “articles * * * embroidered in any manner * * * by whatever name known.” The merchandise undoubtedly answers to either one of the two enumerations in question; it becomes'necessary therefore to determine which one of the competing provisions shall govern in the premises.

The first provision above quoted contains the enumeration of “fans of all kinds,” and thereupon qualifies this by excepting therefrom “common palm-leaf fans.” The frequent tariff phrase “not. specially provided for” is wholly omitted from the paragraph in question. The enumeration of “fans of all kinds” is itself absolutely comprehensive in terms, and, as was said by this court in the Harper case, infra, it “naturally suggests every imported fan, regardless of component material or condition.” This comprehensive classification is, however, expressly modified by the phrase “except, common palm-leaf fans.” The exception thus incorporated within the terms of the enumeration itself leads to the conclusion that at the time of the enactment in question the Congress gave consideration to the general subject of exceptions to the foregoing classification and expressly prescribed but a single exception thereto. The presence in the paragraph of an express exception to the classification conduces to the belief that no other exception thereto was intended, by the legislature. The enumeration in question therefore is an eo nomine one; it .is emphatically comprehensive in its terms; it does, not contain an n. s. p. f. clause; and it contains a single express, exception which may be assumed to have exhausted the legislative intention upon that subject. It may also be noted that the present, merchandise, to wit, silk embroidered faná, is one of the best-known kinds or species of the class of “fans of all kinds” thus provided for.

The second enumeration above quoted provides for “embroideries, wearing apparel, handkerchiefs, and all articles or fabrics embroidered in any manner by hand or machinery, whether with a plain or fancy initial, monogram, or otherwise, or tamboured, appliquéd, or scalloped by hand or machinery, any of the foregoing by whatever name known.” As already stated, the fans now in question undoubtedly respond to at least one of these descriptions. But in the-light of what has already been stated concerning the eo nomine enumeration of “fans of all kinds, except common palm-leaf fans,” in. paragraph 349, supra, it seems unreasonable to believe that the Congress intended to engraft another and indirect exception upon that, paragraph by means of the embroidery provisions. For if such an exception be conceded, it would follow that every fan composed in part of a fabric would be withdrawn from the eo nomine provision for “fans of all kinds” in case the fabric were embroidered in any manner,, even if only by means of a plain initial, monogram, or otherwise, or were tamboured or appliquéd, or were even simply scalloped either [432] by hand or machinery. It may be stated as a fact within common •knowledge that such a construction of the several paragraphs would withdraw from the enumeration of “fans of all kinds, except common palm-leaf fans,” a large if not the major part of the merchandise which otherwise would be classifiable under it. The classes of fans thus indirectly excepted from the paragraph would rival in number .and importance the expressed exception of common palm-leaf fans.”

A question almost identical with the present one came before the board of appraisers in the case of Quon Mane & Co., G. A. 5235 (T. D. 24073), under the tariff act of 1897. Paragraph 427 of that act contained a provision for fans identical in language with paragraph 349, supra. The former act contained also a dutiable provision in paragraph 390 for silk embroideries, and a further proviso in paragraph :339 reading as follows:

Provided, That no wearing apparel or other article or textile fabric, when embroid-•ercd by hand or machinery, shall pay duty at a less rate than that imposed in any schedule of this act upon any embroideries of the materials of which such embroidery is composed.

Under these competing provisions the board held that certain ■embroidered fans composed of sandalwood and silk, embroidered with silk, were governed by the provision for fans of all kinds, rather than by the proviso as embroidered articles of silk.

The chief argument upon which the board rested its decision •appears in the following extract therefrom:

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United States v. Field, 7 Ct. Cust. 430, 1917 CCPA LEXIS 15 (ccpa 1917).

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