New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-29
DUTIES ON lINERAL WATERS.
Is APOLLINARIs ARTIFICIAL,


A QUESTION THAT WILL PROBABLY HAVE 10 BE DE-
CIDED BY THE CoURTs-THE APPRAISER OF THIS
PORT ENGAGED IN AN INVESTIGATION.
The Appraiser of Customs at the Port of
New-York is investigating all suspected" foreign min
eral waters heretofore imported under the exemptions
o The free list The question involves largo interests IN
TINS state, and Is of considerable Importance the
era Government, the annual imporaions amount 10
nearly 100000 bottles, and the import tax il levied,
would amount to $250o00, probably 100000. tie
present fiscal year. Consumers also concerned
becaIse the levy OF duties advance the price
cents a bottle. Since the enactment OF the
law now in force there has largo increase in the
hporta lions or mineral waters. while the
TIC revenues from tLs source have fallen Of nsg
nifcant amount although 1t ID alleged that least
so per cent OF the npOratons artificial within the
meaning and intent OF the law il not actually 90 and
are therefore subject 10 a duty Of a quart bottle
and rs cent ad valofem and In large jugs 80 per
cent ad yalorem. Dealers in indi gcnous natural
waters and manufacturers of mineral waters in the
United states complain through tAeir attorneys and
counsel, George L. Webster and c. W. Nioulton that
artificial mineral waters being imported as
natural waters 20 Such 70 impair and almost
destroy The trade Of American citizens in natural
manufactured mineral waters in this country"
The eherycscent waters highly charged with carbonc
acid gas are suspected Of artificial treatment.
Apohinaris water has been examined by the official
chemists OF the Custom House and krontha Belthal,
Harzer and others are under investigation 1t appears
"A
In America that Apollinaris water is nat
ual, but because it is charged with the
natural gas OF the spring by tho employment
Of machinery during the bottlng process the Appraiser
mas cas'ihedt az manufactured article and has
sesed tie tax provided in such The Collector Of
Customs and the Attorney General OF the
United States have sustained the action OF
he Appraiser. The Aponinaris Company OF
London has appealed TO The Secretary OF the
Treasury and has retained Roscoe Conkling J. H. sa-
I 70 .ffss
II was found by the oc al chemists that the nnortcd
water does not agree in chemical analysis
with the water taken from the Apol
hnaris Spring. at Ahrweer, Rhcnish Prussia
The United States APPRAISER James Q. Howard himself
lawyer aud FOR many years dealing With such ques-
tions during his residence abroad as United States Con-
SUI holds that the imported article has undergone AT
least three distinct processes OF treatment which ma
tcrally affect it charHccr-the charging undo pressure
OF IN" natural water with carbonc acid gas the addition
of chloride Of sodium the separation OF oxide OF iron
during the storing OF the water in reservoirs previous to-
botthng The importers deny that any artificial
treatment whatever, and claim that the additions re-
ferred 10 are FOR preserving the water aud thai the ea
ration Of certain OF the from the water is
purely accidental and avoida0e. being lost i'm the
tanks during the b0ttlng process. The corss are saf
me water ana s accounts for the presence chloride
of sodium. iormcr Investigation by TIE Treasury DE-.
parment through the Secretary OF State resulted i'm
hndne no machinery at the spring for the monufac.
more gas than is necessary bOttlug water and
I'M
while in the spring" on this r,urf in,noT fis
were permitted 10 come free until few weeks aeo wien
tirr tbo nvervtbt,, frn,, io9 81 ADMIT
duccd just as II comes from nature yet held 10
De me result OF process OF manufacture.
The arg imei's witch were submitted the Attorney
neral and which before the Secretary OF rho
Treasury Turn ON The meaning the words not artii
olai III we sccllon OF tAe customs law which makes
" hinera waters al not artificial free OF duty II is
c9ht1nea IN penan OF the dealers in and
of Aponaris water certain ingredients are added aud
pose of giving it sparkle improving lis flavor aud id
ing TO ms co'nnnrc9i value The Nichy, Ems Nassau
Settlers, kiss agcn, lachnsen, Pyrmoni ana Scia hseb
waters are admitted to be natural because like the Ma
directly from the springs INTO the bottles II IS
also argued that There is a difference between
bottles and that which comes in jugs the latter beng
iotieI lor tne reason mat jugs would not etanl the
water sprhs MY Below the surface Of Se p re
from when point lt IS PUMPED contains the same
iea wsis ana Io bo nat me gas which is
flows from the spring TINS the DIRECTORS by saying
THAT Only inc gas retained by the water as tie
trace can be considered an integral part OF tire
addition OF any more, from waaeyer source IL is OBJ
saturatng tne corks with brinc ana adding sos , u
centage Of salt wscn the Apolnars Company aGnitS Il
witch amounts 10 one part Ia 10 400 Sha s 90 tAo SAT-
sparkle and palataDlencSs of the water. They also
acse that Apolnars water when taken from The snTin,
contains iron quantity tAa6 il wonld afIt i
character aud hJure its appearance in case il snoni5
oNJzc IN the bottles, and that 10 remove the mon
from the water the latter is pumped into tanks
and lett there until the iron has become oxyiged and
eettled The ApolllHafis Company claims thar Tina
change is unavoidable and that the storing of be water
IN tanks is necessary IN order that sufficient supply of
water may always Dc on hand IN The busy se,soU
Among the atdaNis submitted IN the case IS thar Of
Carl H. schultz who. in discussing the change made
IN the water 10y The addition of g9Ir
says that at the Spring OF Neuenahr, near the Apou
spring, the patients informed by pampblet Thar a
dose OF cooking SAT- added to the Neucnahr water wheh
Is much IKE Apolnarls viii yield Ems dose soda
Nlohy, and a dose OF Glauber salt Carlsbad wafer.
The case VIII probably before the courts for final
the Attorney General in his reort 10
The Secretary of the Treasury suggested that Inc Col
Iector impose the tax aud thus enable the importer
aAlcr paying the duty, 20 begin suit Tor its recovery