University of Chicago v. United States

2 Cust. Ct. 358, 1939 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 87
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedMay 10, 1939
DocketC. D. 159
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 2 Cust. Ct. 358 (University of Chicago 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
University of Chicago v. United States, 2 Cust. Ct. 358, 1939 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 87 (cusc 1939).

Opinion

Dallinger, Judge:

These are suits against the United States, arising at the port of Chicago, brought to recover certain customs duties alleged to have been improperly exacted on parts of a particular carillon shipped from England on four different vessels on four [359]*359different dates. Duty was levied thereon at the rate of 20 per centum ad valorem under the provision in paragraph 1541 (c) of the Tariff Act of 1930 for carillons, plus 3 cents per pound on the total weight of all the parts under section 601 (c) (7) of the Revenue Act of 1932 as an article composed in chief value of copper.

It is claimed that said articles are properly dutiable as separate entities at the rate of 20 per centum ad valorem under said paragraph 1541 (c) as parts of carillons, plus the appropriate tax imposed by said section 601 (c) (7) as follows: 3 cents per pound where the individual part is composed in chief value of copper, and three-fourths of 1 cent per pound or 3 per centum ad valorem (whichever is the lower) where the individual part is not in chief value of copper but contains 4 per centum or more of copper by weight.

The record is quite voluminous, covering 168 typewritten pages of oral testimony, together with numerous exhibits including depositions taken abroad under commissions issued out of this court.

Exhibit 1 is the original contract between the University of Chicago, the plaintiff herein, and the English manufacturers of the imported articles.

Exhibit 2 is a copy of said contract which was substituted for the original.

Exhibit 3 is the deposition of Arthur Henry Townsend, shop foreman of the English manufacturers.

Exhibit 3-A consists of questions and answers in Exhibit 3 arranged in sequence.

Exhibit 4 is the deposition of William Campbell, an accountant in the employ of the English manufacturers.

Exhibit 7 is the deposition of Herbert Edward Anderson and of William Campbell.

. Exhibit 8 consists of questions and answers in Exhibit 7 arranged in sequence.

: Illustrative Exhibit A is a photograph of what is known as a ferrule, a short piece of pipe used as a guide for wire going through the roof.

Illustrative Exhibit A-l is a photograph of a relay terminal box.

Illustrative Exhibit B is a photograph of the motor generator set.

Illustrative Exhibit C consists of photographs of two 5-horsepower electric motors.

Illustrative Exhibit D consists of photographs of two 3-horsepower electric motors.

Illustrative Exhibit E consists of photographs of four ¾-horsepower electric motors.

In addition to the exhibits the plaintiff offered the testimony of four witnesses. No evidence was introduced by the Government. Two of said witnesses appeared at the first hearing held at Chicago on October 18, 1934.- One, Howard G. Halsey, testified that during [360]*360the Summer and Fall oí 1932, and for about four years, lie was assistant superintendent of construction on the campus of the University of Chicago; that he was a graduate of the Missouri School of Mines in-mining engineering; that he also had had experience in civil engineering and construction work for twelve years; that he was familiar with each article represented by the invoice items herein; that he had examined each of said articles to determine whether or not it contained copper; that the following contained no copper, or an infinitesimal amount thereof as indicated:

The so-called wood clavier stool or organist’s seat:
500 feet of wire.
100 steel ferrules.
Spares for clavier consisting of wood pedals, felt pads, steel rods, steel rollers,, and steel hammers, and little rubber contact points.
Contacts and screws consisting of rubber bumpers on the ends of the hammers, and steel screws.
Mercury Switch bases composed of slate.
16 mercury tubes for switches composed mostly of glass and mercury with an infinitesimal amount of copper in 2 small contact points; and that the so-called resonators are composed of brass compounded with aluminum.

On cross-examination he testified that most of the imported articles arrived in this country before he entered the employ of the University of Chicago; that he knew how a carillon was played but never tried to play one himself; and that although some of the 500 feet of wire was painted black he could tell by scraping off some of the paint that the wire contained no copper.

The second witness, L. R. Flook, superintendent of buildings and grounds of said university, testified that he had made a study of carillons and their operation; that he was familiar with the different parts thereof and had assisted in supervising the erection of the imported articles at said, university; that he had made- preliminary estimates for said erection based on preliminary contract prices and all other costs involved in the proper installation of the complete carillon; that he was a graduate of the University of Michigan in civil engineering, having specialized in mechanical and electrical construction work; that he was present at the installation of the carillon bells at the Riverside Church in New York City; that he had participated in drawing the contract with the English manufacturers of the imported articles, a copy of which contract is in evidence as Exhibit 2; that a practice console is a self-contained instrument similar to a piano ih which little resonator parts are struck by little pegs similar to the wire keys of a piano; that the purpose of the practice console is to enable a student to practice on the carillon without causing the bells to emit too loud a sound; that a resonator is a thin tube of metal which when struck magnifies the sound; that similar to the xylophone these tubes are of different lengths for different notes; that the only resonators [361]*361installed in Chicago were those installed in connection with the practice console; that the keyboard on which the operator of the carillon plays is called the console; that the clavier stool is the bench about 5% feet long and 16 to 18 inches wide on which the carillonneur sits as he plays, using his hands and feet; that the upper and lower halves of the clavier were shipped separately for convenience but that the whole was an entirety; that the ferrules are little short pieces of pipe cut into different lengths and are simply used as guides where the wires go through the roof and are separate parts of the carillon; that the articles known as mercury switches and bases are used in connection with the electropneumatic mechanism for operating the carillon bells; and that in the case containing so-called spares for claviers were keys covered with felt, rubber bumper strips, and other minor parts made in England for the carillon.

On cross-examination he testified that the previous witness, Halsey, had immediate charge of the installation of the carillon at the University of Chicago under the direction of the witness.

At the close of this witness’ testimony, counsel for the plaintiff moved to consolidate the four protests herein, action on which motion was reserved by the trial judge for determination by this division.

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Bluebook (online)
2 Cust. Ct. 358, 1939 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 87, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/university-of-chicago-v-united-states-cusc-1939.