Edward Richards, has been known as his own man therefore his outspoken speech to Hamilton Rotary Club was not a surprise. However, it is unusual to hear a member of the Government outline Bermuda's racial and economic problems in such cogent and direct terms.

We think that Senator Richards is correct and that the general theme of his address should spur his political party to action. In fact we hope that the essence of his remarks will become part of United Bermuda Party policy.

Basically, of course, he was talking about what we have all come to refer to as the "glass ceiling''. That is the social and economic factors which place black Bermudians at a disadvantage when they seek to operate their own businesses or to reach the hierarchy of established institutions.

For some time now it has seemed to us that once blacks became successful in Bermuda, as Senator Richards has done, they have done far too little to help other blacks. Successful blacks themselves often pay a price, especially if they adhere to the UBP, by being "torn down'' by other blacks. Therefore it is refreshing to see a successful black man, especially one allied to the UBP, addressing the problems and suggesting solutions.

What Senator Richards referred to as "the skewed distribution of opportunity and income'' is a reality and deeply rooted in Bermuda's history of segregation. Part of the problem seems to us to be created by the fact that the great majority of successful Bermudian businesses are basically in white hands. Much of "Front Street'' is in fact in family hands. Because they are successful they strive to keep their market. That makes it very difficult for new black owned businesses to attain any market share.

Too often people, especially white people, assume that black entrepreneurs fail because of a lack of talent or expertise or effort. More often than not, as Senator Richards has pointed out, that is simply not true. We think they fail because they do not receive the network help which white businessmen can assume they will receive. We agree with the Senator when he states, "It appears that there are a series of structural impediments in the work place as well as in the market place.'' That is the glass ceiling.

The Swain Report went a long way toward suggesting solutions to just these problems yet, like so many reports on Bermuda's problems, it seems to have disappeared from consideration, perhaps because it was difficult for some people to swallow.

It is always hard for people who are successful to learn to share their wealth and their expertise because they fear competition but that is exactly what Senator Richards is suggesting. The majority of the wealth in Bermuda is still controlled by the minority white grouping and most people are also reluctant to give up control.

Senator Richards says: "The failure to redress this economic imbalance poses the largest threat to Bermuda's long term economic health.

"At the moment, many people perceive that the system is not fair, that the cards are stacked against them, that they're constantly on the outside looking in.'' In this case we think it is more than perception. It is reality. This kind of disillusionment is, as the Senator says, contagious and it produces negative social problems.