United States v. Kidder

17 C.C.P.A. 490, 1930 CCPA LEXIS 31
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedMarch 19, 1930
DocketNo. 3263
StatusPublished

This text of 17 C.C.P.A. 490 (United States v. Kidder) 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. Kidder, 17 C.C.P.A. 490, 1930 CCPA LEXIS 31 (ccpa 1930).

Opinion

Lenroot, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is an appeal by the United States from the judgment of the United States Customs Court, sustaining the importer’s protest, upon the ground that the merchandise involved herein, which accompanied a returning resident of the United States, was personal effects within the provisions of paragraph 1695 of the Tariff Act of 1922, and therefore entitled to free entry.

Duty was assessed by the collector under and by virtue of the provisions of paragraph 1453 of said act.

The collector reported:

The merchandise in question consists of certain moving-picture films taken abroad by the protestant, W. E. Kidder, and according to the report of the appraiser herewith, manufactured by the Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, 'N. Y., and exported in their original condition, sensitized, but not exposed or developed. Upon importation, they were found to consist of 2,200 feet of positives, 400 feet of exposed, undeveloped negatives, and 1,300 feet in the original exported condition.

The pertinent parts of the competing paragraphs read as follows:

Par. 1453. * * * photographic-film negatives, imported in any form, for use in any way in connection with moving-picture exhibits, or for making or reproducing pictures for such exhibits, exposed but not developed, 2 cents per linear foot; * * * photographic-film positives, imported in any form, for use in any way in connection with moving-picture exhibits, including herein all moving, motion, motophotography, or cinematography film pictures, prints, positives, or duplicates of every kind and nature, and of whatever substance made, 1 cent per linear foot: Provided, That upon the importation of photographic and motion-picture films or film negatives taken from the United States and exposed in a foreign country by an American producer of motion pictures operating temporarily in said foreign country in the course of production of a picture 60 per centum or more of which is made in the United States the duty shall be 1 cent per linear foot, * * *.
Par. 1695. * * * Provided further, That in case of residents of the United States returning from abroad all wearing apparel, personal and household effects taken by them out of the United States to foreign countries shall be admitted free of duty, without regard to their value, upon their identity being established under appropriate rules and regulations prescribed by rhe Secretary of the Treasury; Provided further, That up to but not exceeding $100 in value of articles acquired abroad by such residents of the United States for personal or household use or as souvenirs or curios, but not bought on commission or intended for sale, shall be admitted free of duty.

There was no oral testimony taken at the trial of the case, and no appearance upon the part of appellee. However, a stipulation had been agreed upon between the parties, which was stated by the Government’s counsel upon the opening of the trial, as follows:

The plaintiff in this case has communicated with the Assistant Attorney General, and as a result of the exchange of these communications it was agreed [492]*492that the, baggage declaration and entry, number 29444, and the so-called registration certificate dated January 13, 1928, together with the collector’s report may all be received in evidence. The Government objects to the affidavits on the ground that they are not the best evidence of the alleged facts therein stated.
In pursuance of a letter dated December 14, 1928, addressed to the Assistant Attorney General in charge of customs litigation, the plaintiff, Mr. Kidder, authorizes us to submit the ease on his behalf, and the Government submits.

The affidavits referred to are two in number, only one of which is pertinent to the question here involved. It reads as follows:

Affidavit for Free Entry of Returned American Products
United States Customs Service, Collection District No. 10, Port of New York.
I,-, do solemnly, sincerely, and truly swear (or affirm) that the following-described articles of merchandise, viz, jewelry, &c., as per etf., covered by the entry hereto annexed are, to the best of my Knowledge and belief, truly and bona fide of the (
W. E. Kidder.
Sworn to this 13 day of Apr., 1928.
J. J. Largly, Collector.
(Indorsed:) Received July 9, 1928. U. S. Customs Court. J. W. Dale, clerk,

None of the statements contained in the baggage declaration and entry or in the registration certificate are in the form of affidavits, the same not being verified.

The Government contends that the Customs Court overlooked its objection to said affidavits, and that the same should have been sustained.

In view of the conclusion at which we have arrived, it is immaterial whether the affidavits referred to are considered as a part of the evidence or not.

There is but one question to be determined, and that is whether the moving-picture films in issue were personal effects of appellee, within the meaning of the quoted proviso of paragraph 1695. To determine this we are confined to an examination of the documents stipulated in evidence. The first is the application for and certificate of registration, dated January 13, 1928, signed by appellee. It is upon Customs Form 4455, which has the following heading:

Application for and Certificate of Registration of Articles to be Shipped Abroad for Repair, Personal use, Touring, Etc., also Theatrical Effects, Moving Picture Films, and Traveler’s Samples

In the body of the application is found the following: “To be sent or taken abroad for the purpose of,” followed by a blank beneath [493]*493which, in brackets, is the following: “repair, alteration, personal use, touring, etc.” This blank was not filled out at all.

On the back of the application is written in pencil a list of the articles covered by the application. In the list is included a “small moving-picture camera,” various lenses, and “44 boxes of moving-picture film 16M/M containing 100 feet each, total 4,400 feet, Eastman Kodak safety film.”

It is the last-mentioned moving-picture film that is here in issue. There is no statement anywhere in the application that this film is for the personal use of appellee, and, as before stated, he failed to fill in the blank provided for stating the purpose of taking abroad the articles designated in the application.

In the baggage declaration and entry, appellant declared his baggage as consisting of two trunks and six valises, etc., followed by a list of articles, at the end of which is the following declaration:

Declaration of Returning Resident of the United States

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Bluebook (online)
17 C.C.P.A. 490, 1930 CCPA LEXIS 31, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-kidder-ccpa-1930.