United States v. Strauss

13 Ct. Cust. 167, 1925 WL 29466, 1925 CCPA LEXIS 88
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedJune 23, 1925
DocketNo. 2514
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 13 Ct. Cust. 167 (United States v. Strauss) 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. Strauss, 13 Ct. Cust. 167, 1925 WL 29466, 1925 CCPA LEXIS 88 (ccpa 1925).

Opinion

Bland, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

The collector classified the merchandise involved herein as toys, and assessed same for duty át 70 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 1414 of the Tariff Act of 1922, which reads as follows:

Dolls, and parts of dolls, doll heads, toy marbles, of whatever materials composed, air rifles, toy balloons, toy books without reading matter other than letters, numerals, or descriptive words, bound or unbound,‘and parts thereof, garlands, festooning and Christmas-tree decorations made wholly or in chief value of tinsel wire, lame or lahn, bullions or metal threads, and all other toys and parts of toys, not composed of china, porcelain, parían, bisque, earthen or stone ware, and not specially provided for, 70 per centum ad valorem.

At the trial before the Board of General Appraisers, 52 samples represented by Exhibits from 1 to 52, inclusive, were introduced in evidence, all of which are before us. Protests as to Exhibits 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, and 3.3 were overruled, which rulings of the board are not appealed from. The Government concedes that 12, 13, 14, and 18 are not dutiable as assessed, but are dutiable under paragraph 211, as found by the board. The Government in its brief furthermore concedes that Exhibits 26, 40, 42, and 44 are not toys, and that their classification was properly indicated by the board.

This leaves for our consideration the merchandise represented by the following exhibits:

1. 6" paper kazoo or mirliton. 2. 18" paper horn with wooden mouthpiece. 3. Blowout. 4. Horn with paper pompon on end. 5. Paper kazoo or mirliton. 6. Paper horn with pompon on end. 7. Paper horn in shape of cigarette. 8. Wooden kraket or ratchen. 9. Surprise box having jumping mouse. 10. Imitation kodak having jumping mouse in' box. 11. Imitation kodak having jumping mouse in box. 15. Earthenware doll or puppen. 16. Earthenware doll or puppen. 17. Earthenware doll or puppen. 19. Colored gelatin glasses invoiced as toy eyeglasses. 20. Lottoes. 21. Lottoes. 28. 6" paper horn with wooden mouthpiece. 29. Green gelatin glasses. 30. Papier-m&ché face with feather in hat. 31. Clay mouse on a pin. 32. Horn with paper rooster on end. 34. Paper cat standing on wooden base. 35. Slipper cricket. 36. Frog cricket. 37. Lot-toes. 39. Table croquet. 41. Black cat or crab with wooden legs and cotton [169]*169tail. 43. Head of black cat on a pin. 45. Metal horn. 46. Three-note horn. 47. Six-note horn. 48. Eight-note horn or trumpet. 49. Six-note horn or trumpet. 50. Four-note horn. 51. Paper parasol. 52. Ma-ma squeaker.

These 37 different articles may be divided into several classes:

Class 1 (Exhibits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 28, 32, 35, 36, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, and 52) are noise makers. The evidence shows that they are used by children at play, and are also used frequently by adults to make a noise on New Year’s Eve, on Hallowe’en nights, on election nights, and also in cafés for the same purpose. There was testimony that the slipper and frog crickets (Exhibits 35 and 36) were also used as signals to start elevators.

Class 2 (Exhibits 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 30, 31, 34, 41, 43, and 51) are used by children at play, and are also often used by adults at banquets and cafés, and, on festal occasions, as favors in surprise packages, or as special novelty decorations.

Class 3 (Exhibit 19) consists of colored gelatin glasses, invoiced as toy eyeglasses. Exhibit 28 is green gelatin eyeglasses. The proof shows that they are used by children as playthings, and also by adults, at times, on the seashore to protect the eyes from the sun. They are composed of small circular or oval disks of gelatin connected by a piece of tin to fit the shape of a small nose.

Class 4 (Exhibits 20, 21, and 37) are lottoes, and consist of paper cards and numbers on wooden disks, with which a game is played by both adults and children. The rules accompanying the lottoes indicate that they may be used for gambling purposes.

Class 5 (Exhibit 39) consists of six mallets and six balls, together with wickets and other pertinent paraphernalia for playing croquet. The balls are about 1% inches in diameter and the mallets are approximately 1 foot long. It is a complete miniature croquet set, and the proof shows that it is used by children chiefly, that adults also use it at times, and that it is played with upon a table.

As to all of these exhibits, the Government attempted to prove that they were commercially known as toys, regardless of how they were commonly known, and regardless of the courts’ definition of toys. Six witnesses testified for the Government and seven for the importer. The importer’s witnesses were mostly interested witnesses, and, in some other respects, their testimony was not entitled to great credit as to certain articles. The board, however, had the advantage of the presence of the witnesses. It held that the Government had not made out a case of commercial designation. We will not disturb its finding.

The Government also introduced evidence as to long continued administrative practice. The board permitted the testimony to go into the record, reserving the right for the full membership of the board to rule upon importer’s objection later. In its opinion, the [170]*170board ruled that it was not proper to receive proof of administrative practice in determining the meaning of the word “toys,” relying upon Illfelder v. United States, 1 Ct. Cust. Appls. 109. The Government argues this question at length in its brief. The importer has pointed out that the ruling of the board on the exclusion of this evidence was not assigned as error, and that the question, therefore, is not before us. We agree with the importer’s contention. It remains for us to determine whether any or all of the 37 exhibits before us were properly classified by the collector as toys, and, in so doing, we are to confine ourselves to the common meaning of the term.

In the Illfelder case, supra, this court being required to review the classification of certain sparklers consisting of strips of metal, to which were attached iron filings and certain explosives and illuminating materials, and which might be used by children, and also by adults, for fireworks, held same not dutiable as toys at 35 per centum ad valorem, under paragraph 418 of the tariff act of 1897, as was contended for by the importer, and that they were manufactures of metal. In this case the court defined toys as follows:

In common speech, and as popularly understood, a toy is essentially a plaything, something which is intended and designed for the amusement of children only, and which by its very nature and character is reasonably fitted for no other purpose. Although an article may be chiefly used for the amusement of children, if its nature and character are such that it is also reasonably fitted for the amusement of adults, or if it is reasonably capable of use for some practical purpose other than the amusement of children, it can not be classed as a toy unless it is affirmatively shown by the importer that it is so known and designated by the trade generally.

Tlie Illfelder case, supra, has been followed by this court in a great number of cases and among them are, Woolworth Co. v. United States, 11 Ct. Cust. Appls. 217; United States v. Andrews, 12 Ct. Cust. Appls. 258, T. D. 40268; United States v. Globe Overseas Corp., 13 Ct. Cust. Appls.

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13 Ct. Cust. 167, 1925 WL 29466, 1925 CCPA LEXIS 88, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-strauss-ccpa-1925.