Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-11-26
DILLINGHAM; home
IN GOOD HEALTH WITH
CHEERFUL OPTIMISM

B. F. Dillingham; returned to Homo.
lulu yesterday after several months
absence, during which time he has
completely regained his health and
strength which six months ago was
on the verge Of collapse. Mr.. billing.
ham not only comes back in good.
sound health but he brings his old.
time optimistic buoyancy Of spirit and
says, as he has ever said. Hawaii has
the finest future OF any other country
on earth"
At the outset. in a conversation
dealing in retrospect and in prospect
with condition in Hawaii, Mr.. billing.
ham noted the marvellous ability Of
Hawaii to take punishment. He emu.
merated the Colossal burdens that
had been imposed upon Hawaii during
the past i've years and commented
on the marvellous staying power
shown by country Of less than $780,.
900 inhabitants that In Ave years could
stand a discount Of between 100000.
900 and $4,000. 900 between estimated
income and actual receipts and yet
not record single failure Of any con.
sequence.
Five years ago, when most Of the
newer sugar plantations we're foated.
no one could foresee the casualties
that were to be visited upon the coun.
try and its industries. Sugar at that
time was worth over 500 ton, about
what 1t is now. The three crops for
the years 1902, 1903 and 1904 were
sold at price so much lower than
this that the aggregate receipts OF the
Islands from sugar were $30.000.000
less than had been anticipated. The
increase in the cost OF labor during
these years as against the standard
of the year 1899 will foot close to
100000. The loss from the leaf hop.
per has been more than 100000
Drouths have wiped out another two
or three million. Is II any wonder
that we had hard times? In addition
to this we had the plague FIRE and its
consequent losses. These were cas-.
ualties that none could foresee. The
sudden depression from these causes
was very depressing. The strength OF
the Islands is shown In that no fail
ures Of importance followed this ter.
rife strain.
THE credit OF the Islands was
was strained TO some extent. Coast
people showed great deal Of conf
. dence In the Islands all through, more
in fact than Islands people themselves.
The bankers over there are bankers In
every sense Of the word. They are
not pawnbrokers. They have not
sought to enrich themselves at our ex-
pense. In my own affairs, I have re.
ceived the utmost kindness from ev.
cry bank in San Francisco. While
have been in that city the bankers
there seemed TO have more regard for
my personal welfare and rost and
health than for their own interests.
was frequently told by them that II !
was restored to health all would come
out right. They have faith In Hawaii
There was time when the feeling
was quite general on the Coast that
the planting business here had been
overdone and recklessly so. They be-
lieved that the low prices to which
sugar stocks fell indicated an over
estimate of the possibilities OF the
business In the first place. Now they
clearly understand that had we en-
joyed a normal or even q fair price
for sugar, our credit would not have
been SO strained or our depression so
severe.
but as ] have often said before. In
all staples,-and sugar Is staple
prices rise and fall as the ebb and
flow Of the tide. We had our flood.
the ebb Is past and we are on re-
turning food again. OF course every
one knows why sugar was 80 low dur
ing the period We have passed
through. II was due to the unnatural
stimulus given to production by the
bounty system In Europe. That infiu
ence Is not likely to occur again In
many years. Production Of sugar 10
not likely to DO SO enormous In the fu.
ture as in the past. Beet lands are
already falling down. The fields are
exhausted and labor is high. making
the cost Of beet sugar greater than
heretofore.
"The present outlook Is all that We
could desire, and will be for the next
two or three years. The present out
look will Of course stimulate the OK
tension Of cane and beet growing. But
there can be no great expansion made
In the cane industry. except by extern
sive outlay Of capital. The high prices
prevailing for wheat has induced farm
ers In the States and In Europe to
turn their attention to that cereal.
rather than TO sugar beets."
As to his intentions for the future
Mr.. Dillingham; said: II am home to
stay and for the purpose Of going to
work again. feel better than I have
felt in great many years. still own
all my original shares In the enter
prises with which have been con.
nocted. My holdings In Olaa are very
large. also in McRryde \ own cou-