There are endless complaints about the once a week collection and about the bagging requirements for recyclable garbage. As long as we can recall, garbage has been a source of public complaint. In the old days of Parish Vestries the annual parish meetings were generally taken up with complaints about garbage.

Bermudians are still complaining.

We are concerned about public disquiet because we think recycling is vital to Bermuda and can work for Bermuda and because we are anxious that poor handling of the garbage should not result in greater litter on our roads or in uncollected bags of garbage.

Cleanliness is of enormous and very obvious importance to Bermuda. A number of civic minded groups, notably Keep Bermuda Beautiful, spend endless time in the fight against litter. Yet it is clear that Bermuda is not as clean as many of us remember it, although it is fair to say that much of the litter has nothing to do with garbage collection. Citizens' groups are willing to do their part but Government also has to remember that it should not in any way contribute to Bermuda being a dirtier place. There are some indications that despite fewer collections and less work, the collection of garbage has not become tidier or more efficient.

Members of the public are unable to understand why roughly half the amount of garbage, the non-recyclable garbage, is collected only once a week by the same garbage collectors who collected all the garbage twice a week. They argue that all the garbage used to be collected twice a week and it seems unreasonable to collect the recyclable garbage by contract and still cut the regular collection. It would seem reasonable to expect that recyclable cans, bottles and paper, which are less dirty and less smelly and easier to store, could be collected once a week by contract, but that the more offensive garbage should still be collected twice a week.

There are now serious concerns about storing decaying garbage for a week, especially when the hot days of summer arrive. It may not be so bad now but people worry that it will become a serious problem come July and August.

We think that Bermudians will do their part and that they will try to be careful about garbage storage and disposal. The fact remains that many people, especially people in apartments, simply do not have the space or the facilities to store stinking garbage for a whole week and perhaps longer during the summer public holidays.

We were under the impression that land taxes were supposed to pay for road repairs, garbage collection and street lighting. That's why land taxes are an occupancy tax. The fact is that Bermuda's roads have not since the Second World War been in worse repair. Street lights are too often out, sometimes for lengthy stretches of the roads and now half the amount of garbage is collected only once a week.

The public has a right to wonder what is happening to their services. Things are, after all, supposed to get better.

Our big concern is that the general appearance of Bermuda will deteriorate for locals and visitors alike with less frequent garbage collection. Bermuda should be as litter free as we all can make it, and that includes Government and requires that Government set a good example.