Industrial Union forum agreed last night.

Mr. Wendell Hollis, a former United Bermuda Party Senator who quit the party over Independence and other issues, agreed with Mr. Julian Hall, who lost his Progressive Labour Party seat in Hamilton West in the October general election.

Two other speakers who were to appear -- lawyer Mr. Arnold Francis and the UBP's Mrs. Ann Cartwright DeCouto -- were unable to attend.

Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan has called for a Commission of Inquiry and referendum on Independence this year. The legislation to allow the referendum is expected to pass the Senate today.

The sparsely-attended BIU forum was called to discuss the cost of Independence.

By updating figures that were calculated in the past, Mr. Hollis said Independence would cost Bermuda between $4 million and $6 million annually, and the upfront costs could be several million more.

But it was the indirect costs that concerned Mr. Hollis. He did not think Independence would adversely affect tourism, but said: "I am more concerned about the effect on international business.

"There is a strong common denominator between successful offshore business jurisdictions and those that still enjoy dependent status.'' Bermuda should move to Independence only when it was ready, he said. "If we do it when we're not ready, the pot will boil over and we'll have a disaster on our hands.'' Mr. Hall said the cost issue was "a red herring,'' saying that even the highest figures quoted by Mr. Hollis were a drop in the bucket compared to the funds Government "wasted'' on other items.

He was more interested in "the concept of a people who will finally take charge of their own political and economic destiny.

"What is the cost to Bermuda of increasingly dithering about this issue of Independence?'' he asked. "What is the cost to Bermuda of not going ultimately to Independence?'' He said Bermuda would become independent, "sooner rather than later,'' but "Bermuda will not be ready for Independence unless and until the people of Bermuda know what the phrase `human rights' means.'' Mr. Hall said Bermuda was "still a racist country,'' and Bermudians still did not believe in the rights to privacy, the presumption of innocence, or a fair trial. It would be "easy to get it right'' if there was an honest dialogue about why blacks were economically disadvantaged, he said.

"I am concerned about Bermuda's headlong rush into Independence,'' and a "hidden agenda'' or "stacked deck'' in the Commission of Inquiry, he said adding, "we need to develop a different approach.''