during his conclusion of Friday's debate over the Tumim criminal justice report.

And he tongue-lashed the Opposition for setting a bad example for the Island's young black men by criticising Government MPs and programmes.

"What type of example are we setting for our young black males by beating up each other?,'' the Hon. Sir John Swan demanded.

"Our attitudes towards each other as blacks are of paramount importance. If we attack each other and pull each other down, how are we going to solve our problems? We need to have respect for each other and only once we have that can we move ahead.'' One of the problems he was referring to was the fact nearly every cell at Casemates Prison is occupied by blacks.

Sir John said that at 64 percent, the number of Bermudian high school students going to college was the highest of any country in the world.

Bermuda College was a good example of the UBP's commitment to bring people, white and black, together.

And he said that considering Bermuda's population, The Royal Gazette's circulation of 18,000 was one of the highest levels in the world, indicating a well-educated society.

Sir John questioned recently-reported statistics that local whites earned 30 percent more than local blacks. "Does that statistic include the foreign white population?,'' he said.

Sir John submitted: "We have more black millionaires per capita in Bermuda than any other country in the world. The wealth has been distributed and retained in this country more than any other country in the world with regards to the black population.'' He added: "The black population is the best housed in the world. That's why some hotels are in trouble -- labour settlements have been over the rate of inflation.

"And that's why you can see some 2,000 Bermudians going down to Barbados to watch the cricket.

"This is the only country in the world where you can break into a poor man's house and find something to steal. The reason you do not notice successful people is because all of us have a level of success.'' Giving an example of how racially harmonious Bermuda was, Sir John compared the Island to Barbados where he said the business people section of the race track was filled with whites.

And if white shareholders of newspapers wanted to stop racial reports, they could, he said. But the fact they do not, shows they see the need for racism to end. "You see the subject of race every week in the newspaper,'' he pointed out.

Sir John called on the PLP to end its antagonistic attitude because "confrontation in today's world does not work like it did years ago. What works today is dialogue and understanding.'' Confrontation was the reason for a drop in Bermuda Industrial Union membership, he claimed.

Turning to Mr. Julian Hall's scathing attack on the UBP earlier, Sir John said the honourable member had an ability to speak with clarity. But it was time for "everybody to take a sanity check''.

Government accepted there were inequalities in society and that racism existed, he said. But it was necessary for people to join hands to improve society.

Sir John said playing people of different races against each other only created a lot of noise.

"The UBP does not condone racism and we seek to change it,'' he said.