I understand that the Hon. Mr. Terry Lister (PLP) wants the staff of businesses in Bermuda to reflect the racial make-up of Bermuda -- approximately 65 percent and 35 percent.

I presume that this policy will apply to Government as Bermuda's biggest employer? How can we ask the Departments of Works & Engineering, Health, Education, Transport, Marine & Ports, Community Affairs, Environment, Agriculture, Labour & Home Affairs, Tourism, Customs, Attorney General, Cabinet Office, etc. etc.

to support such a policy.

To ever conform there would have to be mass dismissals and hiring of replacements based solely upon race. This would be totally unacceptable and undesirable.

Please Mr. Lister, pause and reconsider the consequences of what you propose.

MOST CONCERNED BERMUDIAN Southampton Tint of hypocracy April 3, 2000 Dear Sir, In regards to the recent controversy surrounding the window tinting of vehicles, and I would like to pose a few questions to the powers that be.

Firstly, if it is deemed to be unsafe and unlawful for vehicle windows to be tinted darker than the 35 percent standard set by the TCD, why is it that both the Bermuda Police and Prison Services use vehicles which contravene these standards? If safety is the reasoning behind these standards, then I would think it to be especially unsafe for the public and occupants of these Police vehicles, as they often travel at high rates of speed and are used after dark in covert operations.

Also, where are the statistics which show that vehicles involved in accidents were the result of tinted windows? What were the reasons for the eight or more Police vehicles totalled in accidents within the last year? Careless driving is careless driving, Mr. Editor. Tinted windows or not! Are motorcyclists to be targeted next? Perhaps a ban on tinted rain shields, full face shields or maybe sunglasses? Finally, in response to Dr. Brown, there are many laws on the "books'' not being enforced. If the Police need to start a "crackdown'', the first person they can start with is the person that smashed into my car, resulting in $1,200 of damage. It's been two years now and he still hasn't been brought before a judge! DAVID WILLIAMS Sandys Try us, you'll like us March 30, 2000 Dear Sir, We the graduating class of the year 2000 of Purvis Primary School, would like to take a few moments of your time to respond to Mrs. Manderson's comments in the March 28 edition of your paper.

After spending six years of our young lives at Purvis Primary we can report with confidence the following: 1. We feel that Mrs. Manderson's comments were uncalled for and at this time ask for an apology from her. We have a `Sign-In' book at Purvis for visitors.

Mrs. Manderson's name is not in it.

2. Purvis is an excellent school. We are happy, successful students at this school.

3. We have teachers that offer us a good education. They are organised and they keep us on task.

4. We at Purvis believe in co-operation and team-work.

5. We have a safe, clean environment that helps us to learn.

6. Purvis offers a high standard of education and we work our hardest to get good grades. The work is challenging but we have fun.

7. Teachers, students and parents respect each other and we always try to communicate a positive attitude to each other and our work.

8. We have an outstanding library full of books and we use them to learn about the world around us.

9. We have many activities at school. Some include, Boys' Choir, Sports, Skits, Recorder Choir.

In closing, we would like to pay tribute to our principal, teachers and parents for helping us reach this far in our school lives. Their high expectation of good work, behaviour and discipline have helped to pave the way for our footsteps towards a bright future.

Purvis is the best, try us and you will definitely like us. As our motto says, "ONWARD EVER ONWARD''.

PURVIS PRIMARY STUDENTS Warwick Clean up your act April 1, 2000 Dear Sir, I was appalled by the behaviour of my fellow Bermudians on two counts last Sunday.

The first: to drive by the entrance to the Bermuda College and see a large bunch of helium balloons waving in a strong wind from each of the pillars leading into the grounds. Had either broken loose, the entire lot would have been out over the sea in no time, ready to wreak their worst on unsuspecting wildlife.

As our highest seat of learning on the Island I would have expected the College to set an example for the rest of us. St. George's has set a wonderful example. Perhaps legislation banning these balloons is what it is going to take to get the rest of the Island to follow suit.

The second: to see a young (more than old enough to know better), and, I would suspect, local girl up on a rocky ledge at the western end of Long Bay, just throw a soda can to the back of the ledge and scramble down.

I did bring her action to her attention, she looked minutely sheepish and said, `Oh, I'll take this one', a plastic water bottle, as she went off on her pedal bike. To settle my conscience, I climbed up to the sandy ledge and was further depressed to see not one, but six of the same cans and several pizza wrappings; obviously she had not been alone. It's hard not to despair at times! CONCERNED BERMUDIAN Paget Rethink Berkeley move March 30, 2000 Dear Sir, I am writing this letter to bring to the attention of the Bermuda public an issue that I feel needs the public's contemplation and input.

This issue is the proposed "relocation'' of the Berkeley Institute. For those who do not know, Government in conjunction with the relevant Berkeley authorities and whomever else concerned, have decided that the Berkeley Institute would benefit from a property move from its existing facility to a new to be constructed facility on the peak of Berkeley Hill at the property now called Ridgeway.

I put relocation in quotes because of the deceptive nature that this term is being used as.

In fact the intent of the proposed development seems not to be a relocation effort of the Berkeley Institute at all, in which the tradition and defined spirit of the school is retained but with better and more modern facilities.

More so, the proposed developments seem to be an effort to destroy the Institute concept so important to the founding fathers of this great and critical education and social institution.

This is, in fact, reflected in the proposed name change from The Berkeley Institute to the Berkeley Senior School. This pattern of name change to reflect changes in the ingrained traditions of our schools is a technique being subtly employed by the Education Department in many of our more traditional institutions of learning (i.e. Whitney Institute) while the new mega-school is being called CedarBridge Academy.

What is really meant by the context of "Academy''. Think about that, Bermuda.

How about Westgate? Our gate to what? I feel this proposed rebuilding and relocation needs to be seriously pondered.

Not only by those involved from Berkeley and the Ministry, but specifically by the Bermuda public in general. Especially those persons who are Berkeley alumni, those both recent and deep into our past.

This issue is one of many facets: The deep cultural, social, educational and historical significance of the Berkeley Institute tradition to Bermuda and its people; The obvious destructive pattern emerging of certain of Bermuda's premier institutions of education being destroyed systematically (Central School, Howard Academy, Tech, Robert Crawford, Whitney Institute, Berkeley Institute, and how many more I do not know of) while others have being preserved with their traditions intact with great care (i.e. Warwick Academy, Saltus Academy, Bermuda High School for girls, Mount Saint Agnes, etc.) The obvious environmental impact of converting the Ridgeway property, an open space area full of vegetation and located in an extremely high and visible location to another mega-school type development.

I encourage all of us in Bermuda who care about these issues to seriously think about this. There is no one right answer. But as Bermudians we have to think and be pro-active on anything that may affect our community negatively or positively, especially where it concerns the development of our youth.

NOT FOOLED Hamilton Parish Thanks for the help March 23, 2000 Dear Sir, I wish to extend my most humble personal thanks to the people of Bermuda who supported my petition on street people in the City of Hamilton.

I also wish to thank the press -- both the print media and the electronic media for their coverage of this presentation to the Mayor of Hamilton.

And finally I want to extend a hearty "thank you'' to the Mayor and those of you who have expressed concern at the present state of this very serious matter regarding the congregation of beggars and persons with no fixed abode in and around the City of Hamilton.

My only hope now is that the Police and the Government will take the necessary steps to rectify the situation quickly.

CHARLES SPANSWICK City of Hamilton