The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-11-26
is To SEEK
NEW LAWS
Manila Merchants
to Help Out
Hard Times.
CAMERON ON WAY
TO WASHINGTON
Yet ex-ManiIa Man on the Doric
Says Business There Is
in Bad Shape.

yes, Manila was but boom town
after all, said passenger from the
Philippines who passed through Homo
lulu on the 0. and o. liner Doric yes
terday, for after a three years strug-
gle to become the biggest thing of the
kind on earth, the city is now settling
back towards the old way Of doing bus
mess. The town has had it's boom. If
it gets down to solid work now it will
| really be big and busy commercial
center Of the Orient, but you can't
boom it, for natives out there won't
boom worth cent. But you will find
that Brewster Cameron, one Of our pas
sengers from Manila, who is spending
the day with ex-Judge Humphreys,
won't agree with me.
Cameron is a most interesting fell
low. He has a string Of yarns which,
II told by glib tongue, would circle
round the world, and then leave
enough to tie knot with at Honolulu.
He knows the ms and outs of the
Philippine situation very we'll; knows
that the town has had its boom and
that this is over; yet he is now on
his way to the National Capitol to tell
senators and representatives the old
story about our tremendous assets in
the Philippines, and you may depend
upon it that he will tell it well, if he
tells the same story that he has been
reciting before us all the way from
Manila. Cameron is the representa-
tive OF the Manila Chamber of Com
merce and he is supposed to be CAPABLE
OF influencing national legislation at
the Capitol which will put Manila
squarely on her feet again.
But even if he gets the reforms he
Is after he will find that old Manila
will require at least five years to get
up to the top notch again, for there
are many men like myself who have
pulled up their capital and left Manila
for other parts Of the United States.
and it will require considerable induce
ment to get the capitalists back again. |
Many more would leave were they in a !
position to do so without entailing too |
great a loss upon themselves.
1t was all very we'll for American |
business concerns in the Philippines |
to make big splurge while the SOL |
diers were standing by to pay the
freight. But the soldiers are not there
now. Neither are the transports, |
which dropped barrels of money there
at the first stage of the game
can compare Manila with Homo
lulu. Three years ago I was here.
things have changed since then. Your
new city knocks the spots completely |
on the old. You have a new street
railway, new hotel, other new business
blocks and many fine residences All |
OF these cost money, and the invest
ments that one can see evidences of !
here during a days visit must be enor-
nous. But the man who visited Manila |
three years ago and returned again |
to it today could not note any such !
development. | should say that Ma
Mia has gone back. Disease and I'M
certainty as to what Congress might |
do for the place have had much to do |
with this For awhile, of course. we
doomed, but that boom is over now,
and all I can see for Manila is steady |
growth in case Congressional action !
is favorable, or still worse condition |
OF affairs if the National legislators fail |
to do the right thing"
Mr.. Cameron could not be seen as he
was touring the city all day with ex-
Judge Humphreys. but from statements |
he made to other passengers of the |
Doric it is evident he believes. as also |
does the commercial body which he rep
resents, that Manila will forge ahead |
eff given fair show by Congress-"