I wonder when some quick-thinking Bermuda business will wake up to the real power of advertising and offer, as they are in the United Kingdom, free access to the Internet.

How silly of me; I must have spoken without thinking -- will Bermuda businesses ever wake up? Why should they? They are already making vast excess profits without any effort, due to the virtual absence of competition.

Will the present, supposedly left-wing government, ever make any effort to increase competition on the islands? I doubt it. They are too busy refusing work permits to businesses which are in the position to dictate terms.

ALAN BAINBRIDGE Pembroke Thanks for the help June 3, 1999 Dear Sir, On Friday May 28, 1999, the Whitney Institute Middle School held its first career day. On this day several members of our business and hospitality industries gave of their time and talents to come and educate our students on the career opportunities available in their respective fields. This day culminated a month of classroom activities dedicated to heightening the level of career awareness among our students.

Please allow us the space to publicly acknowledge and thank the persons listed below for taking their time to support our efforts. They truly believe the children are our future.

ACE Insurance's Lisa Bean and Marjorie Robbins, Arthur Andersen's Andrew Griffith, Artist Sharon Wilson, Attorney General's Chambers' Leighton Rochester and Khamisi Tokunbo, Bank of Bermuda's Lori Shields and Calvina Joyiens, Bank of N.T. Butterfield's Yolanda Outerbridge and Gregory Wilson, Bermuda Broadcasting's Rick Richardson and Delano Ingham, Bermuda Hospitals Board's Scott Pearman, Janet Thomas-Gauntlet, Wayne Watson, Derek Smith, Glenda Daniels, Kathy Roberts and Rebekah Kenworthy, Black's Blacksmith Shop's Alpheaus Black, Education's Maureen Nusum and Veronica Todd, The Fire Department's Lt. John Pacheco, Fresh Creations' Elmore Warren and Seitu Ford, The MarketPlace's Albertha Waite, Kyla Douglas, Lamont Robinson, Robert Cunningham, Ruby Landy and Jennifer Harvey, The Police Department's P.c. Grant Thompkins and Insp. Beverly Hopkins, The Public Transportation Board's Bernard Wade, The Reefs' Barb Jones and Steven Quigg, The Royal Gazette's Bill Zuill and Carol Parker Trott, Saber Ltd.'s Stanton Thompson, Social worker/Counsellor Marilyn Peggy Jackson, Spa Works' Sassy Burchall, The Visitors Industry Partnership's Lauren Smith, Jennifer Brimmer, Claire Mello and Andrea Flood, The Woodshop Plus' Dennis Bean, XL's Phil Harris, Sean Simons and Leon Bascome.

To each of you we extend a most sincere thank you. Whitney's students and staff truly enjoyed and were encouraged by the variety of career presentations. Our career day was just one other way of linking Bermuda's business and hospitality industries with the public education system. The value of this partnership is enormous and we look forward to the continued building of this relationship.

LEEANN SIMMONS/LISA TROTT School Counsellors Whitney Institute Middle School Walks helped WindReach June 9, 1999 Dear Sir, Now that all blisters have healed and muscles relaxed, our founder, Sandy Mitchell, our trustees, staff and volunteers of WindReach Recreational Village would like to thank the Bermuda End-to-End walkers and all those who sponsored them for their support of our Visitor Programme For Seniors. And a special hats off to the new "Youth Invasion'' walkers. You are really setting an example for today and the future! The continued growth and popularity of the Bermuda End-to End is more than a tribute to a good idea. It is a proof of the growing personal commitment of the people of Bermuda who share this incredibly beautiful Island to assist others. WindReach is so very proud to be a part of this personal commitment.

We promise to use the support to really make a difference in the quality of life for our senior citizens by giving them an opportunity to enjoy the facilities at WindReach Recreational Village and to share that enjoyment with family and friends.

WindReach has been called a "magical place'' and some of our seniors have already experienced it. For example, a few weeks ago we hosted a group of seniors who enjoyed fun, entertainment and friendship with Up With People.

Each and every senior who was here is looking forward to coming back on a regular basis. The support of the End-To-End will help to make this possible.

Thank you! WILLIAM D. THOMSON DUDLEY R. COTTINGHAM Trustees, WindReach Recreational Village Bring in contingency fees June 11, 1999 Dear Sir, Whilst I appreciate the fact that the new President of Bermuda's Bar cartel reads and responds to your letters page, I think he and I have a communication problem.

The intent of my letter was to indicate that I thought that the Bar cartel's ban on contingency fees was not in the public interest.

This ban on contingency fees results in legal price fixing. If you can afford to pay a lawyer you can be proven right. In court, if you can't afford a lawyer...no justice. The best justice money can buy.

Mr. Hector, rule 96 needs to be changed -- by Parliament.

SPANISH POINT VOTER Pembroke Right has always existed June 16, 1999 Dear Sir, On the subject of Honorary Consuls, Bermuda may be seen as the mouse that roared. All along the Bermuda Government has had the right to reject to appointees as representatives of foreign countries here except wartime.

For example, when the late Mr. Charles Pearman Wilson was appointed Hon.

Consul of Germany here and later when Mr. Frith, the Mayor of Hamilton, was appointed Hon. Consul of France here and when the Hon. Dame Lois Browne Evans was appointed Hon. Consul of Jamaica here. the Bermuda Government had the right to reject them even without necessarily stating their reasons or causing animosity.

They were not rejected, I can only assume, because the Bermuda Government agreed with the choices or decided objecting was not worth the trouble or they just did not know they could reject the appointee. I certainly had no objections to any of them.

If he was younger, I would have recommended the great Sir Edwin Leather to be Hon. Consul of Canada here.

On another subject, hearty congratulations to all those recently honoured by Her Majesty. Many of them are acquaintances of my family, especially Hon. Dame Lois Browne Evans, a fellow student of my wife and myself.

ROSS TUZO Warwick Cause of over-population June 15, 1999 Dear Sir, I am writing in reply to a letter entitled `Solve Over-Population' in the Friday, June 11 paper. Enforcement of family planning? Why don't we elect a communist government too? Then children will be abandoned. China's enforcement of family planning has not stopped the people from reproducing. Rather it has left China's orphanages overcome with starving children. Remarks like these do nothing to help solve a problem. They anger a community whose children are our future. The over-population problem in Bermuda may be due in part to reproductive numbers but what about the number of expatriate workers? They come down with their families and children. Should we regulate how many children they can have too? Maybe if we put more Bermudians in positions that are held by expatriates the population problem may not be as bad. I think that CURE's ideas to make companies state the racial make up of their staff would be better served if we state the ratio of Bermudians to Non-Bermudians.

AGAINST COMMUNIST IDEAS Smith's Parish Editor's Note: The ratio of Bermudians to non-Bermudians in the workforce is reported in the Government Employment survey.

Businesses responded June 11, 1999 Dear Sir, Recently a game of knowledge, General Jeopardy, was held at Clearwater Middle School. Six contestants performed on stage in front of their peers and their parents. Letters were sent to several businesses requesting prizes for the contestants and many responded favourably.

What I found most impressive was the willingness and positive attitudes of the managers who donated prizes. Because of their generosity, every contestant was able to receive two or more prizes. On behalf of Clearwater Middle School, I would like to say thank you to Carol Bromby of Toys 'N' Stuff, Ian Carr of Four Star Pizza, Michael DeMello of Music World, Roddy Ferguson of Bermuda Creamery, Bill McKenna of Artcetera, Debbie Rance of Treats, Beverley Robinson of Liberty Theatre, Anita Tavares of Phones Plus, Dominique Wong of Everrich Jewellery, and Dorothy Young of Dimensions Hair Salon.

They all helped to make every child feel like a winner and to feel like their efforts were worthwhile. Thanks also to The Royal Gazette for positive news coverage on this event.

MRS. SHAWNETTE SOMNER Clearwater Middle School Looking for answers May 26, 1999 Dear Sir, I read an article in a magazine about a rather overweight, black singer. She was quoted saying: "White women are preoccupied by their weight and black women are preoccupied with their hair.'' So white women tan themselves on the beach, presumably to look more "black'' while the black women are straightening their hair to, presumably, look more "white''.

Many women, particularly as they get older, dye their hair. Women with straight hair get "perms'' while women with curly hair get "relaxed''. Then, of course, some young men and women dye their hair purple. What are we looking for? Tanning, with the implications of skin cancer, has a long term risk. Messing with your hair? "hair today gone tomorrow''.

SANDERS FRITH-BROWN Warwick