does not want, it was revealed at a lively town meeting last night.

The firing pistol goes off today for the contract of the terminal. Companies have until December 7 to put in their bids for the Ordnance Island building.

The terminal was an example of how Government was failing to acknowledge the seriousness of the Old Town's cash woes, Mayor the Wor. Henry Hayward told the 100-strong meeting at St. George's.

He would rather the money be spent on something else, such as hiring extra Corporation of St. George's workmen and making the Town more attractive.

The Town could not afford those things, he said, because attempts to get Government to part with more of its St. George's earnings were unsuccessful.

Further, Government had refused to up the wharfage on bulk fuel products by $3 a metric ton, which would cost the taxpayer just .00238 cents-a-litre -- and boost St. George's annual revenues by more than $500,000.

"How many people in Bermuda do you think would not be willing to pay .00238 cents per litre (on fuel products) to help solve St. George's financial problems?,'' Mr. Hayward asked.

Mr. Hayward said the Ports Security Committee headed by Deputy Governor Mr.

John Kelly had "demanded'' the new terminal be built because of international port security regulations it abides by.

The Corporation had fought hard to get the proposed size for the terminal reduced by more than half, he said.

"Let me make it perfectly clear that we did not request the terminal to be built,'' Mr. Hayward said. "It was demanded by the International Port Security and as such Government has gone along and is providing the facility.'' Cruise passengers would appreciate it on wet days and it could be used for town functions, he said.

"However, there are many other areas in the town which we could spend this money on. And it is in this area where Government is failing to recognise the realities of our financial position.

"For instance, it has been stated than $1 million is being spent on Ordnance Island and hence there will be no additional funding available.'' The Mayor noted while Government was spending about $1 million on the new terminal, it stood to collect about $1.5 million in the first year on Government taxes, including head tax and tugs. And possibly up to $1.78 million every year thereafter.

The meeting was held above Town Hall and presentations were also given by the Chamber of Commerce, National Trust and Boston-Bermuda Cruises -- the company sending the St. George's-only liner.

Boston-Bermuda chairman Mr. Arnold Mende, agreeing with Mr. Hayward about the new terminal, said it was a "terrible idea'' and he had made a number of suggestions to Customs and Police to avoid building it.

Mr. Hayward went on to note that St. George's paid its Town Square traffic warden's salary, yet all fines went to the Accountant General.

Government had refused to share the $15-a-head tax it collects from visiting yachts that tie up alongside St. George's and "generate considerable expense for the town in disposing of their garbage in the dumpsters along the waterfront''.

The St. George's volunteer firemen raised money to pay for their own uniforms and had to have new fire truck tires donated by town residents.

Another item "in need of correction'', he said, was the tax imposed on the residents of the town.

They ended up paying two taxes for basically the same services provided to homes outside town limits, he said.

The new Town Manager Ms Margaret Emmott, whose first salary is being paid by Government, among other things would be looking into correcting the situation, he said.

At the start of the meeting, Mr. Hayward has said he was "enthusiastic'' about what had been accomplished in some areas in the last five years.

However, "I am afraid I am also full of frustration when I look at some areas and know what has not been accomplished.'' He pointed out some $2.3 million had been spent on capital projects in St.

George's, of which the Corporation had contributed $455,000 and Government, $1.9 million.

And about $170,000 had been added to the Corporation's annual revenue with the lifting of the $200,000 ceiling on air wharfage and an increase of .50 per metric ton on bulk fuel products.

But, "What one really has to compare, is what is our position relative to the rest of Bermuda? And this is where, in fact, one can see that we are not curing the ailment which has been inflicting the town.'' "We have been forced to use bandaid approach to an ailment which had been diagnosed five years ago in my presentations to the public meeting of December 17, 1988.'' "That is, that the tax structure has to be adjusted so that the Corporation has the basic revenue to operate the town in an efficient way that it rightly deserves.'' In a question and answer period after the final presentation, outspoken local businessman Mr. Kenny Bascome said that even after a St. George's North defeat in the October 5 election, St. George's was still having to "twist Government's arm to get anything done''.

Other concerns included the new terminal -- whether it would block harbour views and increased traffic flow in the Ordnance Island area; the "fishy situation'' with the still vacant Club Med property and when it was going to be sold; the lack of greenery -- trees and flowers in the Town; traffic jams caused by delivery trucks since Water Street was closed to traffic, and the derelict old Marine Police building on Ordnance Island which was nearing a "dangerous'' state.