Gazette's Letters to the Editor -- that the cost of a prescription rose by 23 percent since Clarendon Pharmacy was taken over by the Phoenix Group -- is completely wrong.

Mr. Young pointed out that his company will not take over Clarendon until June 1 and therefore has no influence on prices. He added his firm also has no intention of pushing up prices at Clarendon when it does take over.

Stumbling in the dark May 13, 2000 Dear Sir, In keeping with the present government's commitment to economy, I've switched off the light at the end of the tunnel.

COLIN BENBOW Paget Prison's no answer April 30, 2000 Dear Sir, I offer an informed appeal (supplied by an accredited social worker).

Recently, we were discussing the situation of the beggars on Hamilton streets.

Her suggestion seemed helpful and positive to me.

I believe that she was a Social Psychologist and had served at St. Brendan's Hospital. She suggested that the men we had been considering should be at "a structured day care programme at this hospital''.

The men themselves have told me that Social Services does help them with food vouchers and medical help. It is well-known that some of them are drug users.

Would it be better for the taxpayer to help them live in prison or the hospital? I understand that one of them was sentenced to prison for three months for breaking and entering and stealing. They have been a persistent nuisance to us in our store for our or five years, begging from us several times a day.

Their ceaseless begging from 6 a.m. until midnight, and beyond is wearying to watch.

From our comfortable homes, beds and jobs we emotionally feel the need to provide a doughnut and coffee is not too much to give, but every day? My plea to the praying public is that they pray for these relatively young men, derelict as they are, that they get the needed help from some Government provided services rather than be imprisoned for trying to survive.

These men are in their early 40's. Some are not employable and should not be left to commit criminal offences to get what they need. It would be good too if they did not have to have the added stress of "evading the Police'' as your Royal Gazette report of April 5 points out.

DAVID J. BURGESS City of Hamilton May 11, 2000 Dear Sir, Today at Church Bay, when I was in difficulty with a jellyfish which had its tentacles wrapped around my leg, Alex and Glen, who rent snorkelling equipment and sell bear there, came to my rescue. What wonderful service! Thanks to both of them for coming to my assistance. A GRATEFUL VISITOR Price hike was a clue May 12, 2000 Dear Sir, This week I picked up a prescription renewal at the Clarendon Pharmacy only to find that in the approximately six weeks since I last got a refill, the price had increased 23 percent.

Was I surprised to read this week that the Phoenix Group has recently purchased the Clarendon Pharmacy? The 23-percent increase in the prescription price should have been a clue! Time to switch to Hamilton or People's! HAD ENOUGH Hamilton Parish Ferry Reach nightmare May 12, 2000 Dear Sir, I would like to comment that last weekend's event (boat show?) at Ferry Reach has now reached a pinnacle of unsociable behaviour.

We are used to the continual excessive noise and excessive speed every weekend from early morning and every weekday evening until dark. Sunday racing we understand, and it seems we have to accept, but was it really necessary to blast music from the shore at such a volume that it shook our windows? Add this to the loud assorted music from the parked boats, plus hours of high pitched droning of the race boats and their mentally challenged drivers, and the life of the residents of Ferry Reach is hell.

Could someone please explain why noise on Ferry Reach is not a violation, when if I turn up my car radio it is against the law? Reporting the disturbing and extreme noise and the daily danger of out of control drivers ignoring small sail boats, row boats and the odd canoes to our "it's not our job'' officials has not helped.

What do we do? Does anybody care what has happened to our Island paradise? FERRY REACH RESIDENT A sick, confused fish May 17, 2000 Dear Sir, It is frightening to think that among us there are sick, confused, minds that think like "Pisces'' who appeared in The Royal Gazette of May 9.

First of all, "No, we are not a part of the West Indies, but we are linked to the West Indies in many, many ways!'' If you turn me upside down, you'll see stamped on my bottom, "Made in the West Indies!'' My father was from the West Indies.

Does this person not realise that more than half of Bermuda's black population, as well as some whites, have bloodline that runs through the West Indies? How dare this person make such a dim-witted comment by saying that we do not want to tarnish our reputation by being linked to the West Indies? We are linked to the West Indies in more ways than one! And, we don't have to be linked to the West Indies to tarnish our reputation -- we can sit right here at home and tarnish our own reputation -- all we need are a few more minds that think like Pisces, spreading their asinine thoughts, and we will be home free.

By the way, I wonder what part of this Earth does Pisces have links to? I bet whereever it is, it is just fine and dandy -- without tarnish, and without sin! For Pisces to say that because of the appalling conditions they saw in Africa, Africans would give their teeth to have had their ancestors transported to the West under any circumstances so that they could now live the "good'' life, is provocative and incomprehensible! It is grossly insulting! What Pisces and the like need to do is to have some counselling and a lesson in humanitarianism. I wonder why is it that some people seem to think that their world is the only world and all else is insignificant? Incidentally, I do not go for excessive spending either! I didn't with the UBP and I don't with the PLP! One last word to Pisces, I could have called myself Scorpio or the like, but I do not need to hide. I stand by my convictions and can be called on them! And to think, you could be smiling in my face -- I find that thought provoking! PAT FERGUSON Selective morality? May 14, 2000 Dear Sir, Referring to Rolfe Commissiong's letter of May 10, I note that he not only practices selective morality, he also practices selective answers to questions asked.

He missed the point which was that morality -- or the lack of it -- is not determined by colour, nationality, religion or sex but, by behaviour.

When he states that he condemns tyranny "no matter the strife'', I feel I can be forgiven for saying that I do not believe him as I have yet to hear him condemn black tyranny or even violence by blacks on white victims.

He must understand that hatred of whites does not automatically translate into the love of blacks.

I could not care less if Idi Amin had dealings with English supporters or any other supporters, I am not English nor do I have a pro-English agenda.

Brutality is not diminished by stating that he had English supporters.

As for the continent of Africa, everyone knows that slavery and all the evil that goes with it existed thousands of years before the western world got involved. Blacks and Arabs were responsible there and fully involved ever since -- in fact to this very day.

HAMILTON PARISH Live and let ride April 13, 2000 Dear Sir, I am deeply disappointed with the fact that motorcross bikes can not be ridden on private property because of the noise.

I don't know how they expect us to practice riding these bikes if we can't ride. Every time we want to do something fun, we always get banned from it.

People wonder why some kids turn to drugs? I think that they should build more race tracks closer to the west side (of the Island) because Coney Island is too far away to travel for some of us.

I feel Government should try to find ways that we can have certain hours during the day that we are allowed to ride the bike on our property even if the noise is an inconvenience.

17 AND RIDING Help keep Island clean Dear Sir, In January 1999, I challenged (Mayor) Charles Spanswick who had complained about the amount of trash Bermudians left behind all over our roads during the annual Heritage Day parade.

As you know, Charles likes a challenge and immediately accepted it, pulling on board KBB, the Corporation of Hamilton, Works and Engineering a number of Hamilton businesses and a ton of Girl Guides to hand out trash bags to spectators along the parade route. The programme was a success and our roads were a lot cleaner.

Well we are back, and on behalf of the May 24 Cleanup Committee we would like to ask Bermudians to once again rally to show that we want a clean Island 365 days a year by bringing their own bags and making sure they clean the area they sit at and the area around them.

We would be extremely delighted if the pattern could be set for the whole year. The theme of the day is Spirit of Bermuda. Let's make it a clean day. A real clean day! DALE BUTLER J.P. M.P.

Committee Member Cover me with concrete May 16, 2000 Dear Sir, `Shopkeeper angered by new customs forms, which appreared in The Royal Gazette May 17, is another nail in the coffin of Bermudian business.

Mr. (William) LeDrew forgets that the local shopkeeper, or importer, unlike the US malls he is competing against, must sort out and list into infinite subcategories each and every item that is brought and sold in every shop in Bermuda.

None of this suffocating layer of work hits the US shopkeeper because the percentage of merchandise that he imports from outside the States, if any, is minuscule.

Free of that load of work (they) can spend the money on better service and better prices. The effect on the Bermuda public will be yet higher retail prices, even less competitive with the States, driving more and more business, and tourists, away from Bermuda, raising the cost of living and the cost of doing business for everyone.

Who cares whether a garment is knitted or crocheted when the duty by itself, according to the RG Magazine graph, is already driving $20 million worth of clothing sales per year out of Bermuda? All this will do is speed the law of diminishing returns to the point there will be nothing left to record, except what comes in suitcases through the airport by those who can still afford the air tickets.

All this extra sweat expense is not for the benefit of the shopkeeper, it is in support of the horrendous duty that is putting him out of business, a tax he is paying so the expat tax exempt companies and the lawyers and accountants, can go on expanding and growing and making tax free millions they take out of country, running up rents and covering Bermuda with concrete.

Maybe that's all fine if you like concrete and because of what trickles down to Bermudians with two houses that are collecting rent, but this seems to be a cart before the horse piece of nonsense.

The Government is ruining local business that employs Bermudians, while giving a free ride to foreign business that employs mostly expats.

When are we going to start looking after Bermudians for a change? FED UP WITH THE PLP