Dear Sir, I read the Saturday, July 17, 1999 Royal Gazette and noticed the comments of Dr. Grant Gibbons of the United Bermuda Party during the House debate containing what appeared to be disdainful comments about Antigua and the visit of the Premier to that Caribbean island to attend the State funeral of Sir Vere Bird, the late Prime Minister of Antigua.

It would appear that Dr. Gibbons has a problem with the Bermuda Government travelling to the Caribbean for the purpose of representing the people of Bermuda. I get the feeling that if our Premier had been invited to a State ceremony for a European Monarch, his lips would have been silent no matter what the expense.

The invitation which our Premier received to attend the State Funeral of Sir Vere Bird was an offer and opportunity that could not be refused. The invitation could not be taken lightly nor could sending a lower Government representative be considered. The Premier's attendance representing our Island would be considered a sign of the highest level of respect and honour to the life-long accomplishment of Vere Bird and his commitment to the international labour movement and the advance of the people of the Caribbean. The work of Vere Bird and other Caribbean notables such as Norman Manley, Sir Alexander Bustamente, Eric Williams, Errol Barrow, T.A. Marryshow, Tubal Uriah Butler, E.T. Joshua and others, moved the region from a colonial backwater neglected by the British to sovereign states determining their own destiny. The work of Sir Vere Bird and others even impacted on the work being done in Bermuda. Sir Vere was a contemporary of our own Dr. Edgar Fitzgerald Gordon, both men being trade unionists, working towards the common goal of enhancing the quality of life of workers and the poor throughout the region.

Dr. Gibbons chose to ignore all these facts and in deplorable fashion chose to preoccupy himself with the recent history of Antigua which is filled with controversy and stories of corruption and abuse; these activities are of course not supported or tolerated by the Bermuda Government.

The recent history of Antigua is not justification for showing disrespect or disdain for the life long accomplishment of a hero of the Antiguan people, a fact which even Sir Vere's staunchest opponents acknowledge. The recent articles in The Royal Gazette on Bird's life confirm this.

Dr. Gibbons shows little sensitivity towards Bermudians who not only travel to Antigua for cricket and vacation but also have Antiguan ancestry and Caribbean ancestry in general. The comments made are a perpetuation of the prejudices and insensitivity cultivated in the past towards the Caribbean here in Bermuda. I remember comments in the Bermuda Sun by Sir David Gibbons, I believe a relative of Dr. Gibbons, about how Bermuda could suffer like the Bahamas in the 1970s, with the election of a PLP Government (see Bermuda Sun April 1, 1998). Incidentally, such views did not deter Sir David from participating in significant investments in the Bahamas and certain other Caribbean islands. These comments and those of Dr. Gibbons are indicative of the condescending attitude that some so-called influential Bermudians have towards the Caribbean. Perhaps the fact that Dr. Gibbons has few constituents in Paget East with connections to the Caribbean accounts for his lack of appreciation. As a Bermudian of West Indian ancestry, I find Dr. Gibbons' comments distasteful and discriminatory to all Caribbean people and Bermudians who enjoy the Caribbean. I am assured by the comments of Dr. Gibbons that the people of Antigua would have only had the benefit of the cold condolence card if the UBP were the Government.

The Premier's visit will hopefully begin steps to erase the divisive attitude such comments have fostered over the years and help to establish a relationship with the Caribbean that is built on respect and understanding of the cultural and historical connections the region has with the majority of Bermudians.

WALTER H. ROBAN Pembroke Independent lawyers The following was sent to Premier Jennier Smith and copied to the The Royal Gazette .

July 16, 1999 Dear Madam Premier, At a Bar Council meeting held on July 8, 1999, it was resolved to write you to express our concerns on behalf of the Association about a story which appeared on page 1 of the Royal Gazette for June 15, 1999 concerning Saul Froomkin Q.C.

which to the best of our knowledge has not been contradicted. The article stated in part as follows: "Ms Smith (in a letter to the Canadian External Affairs Minister) added (that) Mr. Froomkin's legal work for the Opposition United Bermuda Party attempting to have the appointment of political Attorney-General Dame Lois Browne-Evans blocked on age grounds should disqualify him from the post.'' It is not one of the objectives of the Bermuda Bar Association to become concerned in the political affairs of this country except to the extent that the interests of our profession are involved. In particular, the Association is not concerned with the question whether Mr. Saul Froomkin QC is a suitable person to act as honorary Consul of Canada in Bermuda.

The concerns of the Association in this matter are focused solely on the reported reason for the Bermuda Government's objection to Mr. Froomkin occupying this position, namely, that he acted for the Opposition Party in seeking to make a legal challenge to the appointment of Dame Lois Browne-Evans to the position of Attorney-General.

The Association feels strongly that the principle of the independence of lawyers in the practice of their profession is part of the foundation of a democratic society in which the rule of law prevails. If a lawyer was intimidated by the fear of personal repercussions from acting for a client, he or she would be less willing to act. The client would then not be able to find a lawyer to represent him or her. Alternatively the client would feel that his or her lawyer was conducting the case in a manner designed to protect the lawyer and not in a manner which promotes the interests of the client. Lawyers are under a professional obligation to provide indpendent and objective legal advice and representation when instructed whether the client espouses an unpopular cause or not; and whether or not the client is an unpopular person.

These principles are enshrined in The Barristers' Code of Professional Conduct 1981: "76. A barrister shall make his services available to members of the public in an efficient and convenient manner and by means which are compatible with the integrity, independence and effectiveness of the profession.'' "78. A barrister should not refuse to act for a person merely because that person is unpopular or notorious or because he is espousing an unpopular cause or because he is charged with a particular criminal offence; nor should he be affected by the fact that powerful interests may be involved in the matter in respect of which he is asked to act.'' With respect to Mr. Froomkin, the Association does not know the facts in relation to this matter. The Association wishes to offer its view if, in fact, matters concerning this affair are as reported in the newspapers.

As it is an important function of this Association to educate and inform the public on legal matters this letter is being copied to the Editor of The Royal Gazette .

We appreciate the support you and your Government has shown to our profession's concerns in the area of court reporting and look forward to fruitful co-operation in other areas in the future.

IAN KAWALEY Vice-President Bermuda Bar Association Police need new contract July 21, 1999 Dear Sir, So when are the Police going to get their long overdue pay rise? After many months of procrastinating, Government has still not moved on this subject.

Summer is now here. With summer, comes the problem of cooling oneself down. As I walk down the street, every air conditioner that appears in a window is running (and I'm sure full blast!) If Government need a reminder...the Police work shifts. For the past week, we have had our air conditioner on almost 18 hours a day. My husband is now sleeping during the "9-5'' workday.

So not only are the Police not being paid a decent salary, our utility bills have skyrocketed.

Yes, I'm sure there are some of you who think "well, at least you have an air conditioner''. Yes, we too tried ceiling fans, stand-up fans, etc. to cool our house down. However, the location of our house only provides relief during certain wind directions -- which lately have all been humid ones. We lucked out, however, and got a great deal on an AC from one of the leaving island sales that frequent our classified ads. Plus, have you ever tried to sleep during the day with all your windows open when traffic (especially the loud bikes) are going by? Back to the issue at hand, can you please tell us when Government is going to do something...anything... about this situation? I know several Police who are looking in the private sector for employment opportunities because they can no longer make ends meet. Some are even working two jobs -- hopefully they won't tire themselves out too much so they can work efficiently when serving the public.

Surely the Police Commissioner should be given more authority when it comes to the men and women of the Police force? Why is it that Government seems to prevent him from doing what he has been pushing to get accomplished? I sure hope that when YOU need the Police, they have someone left to dispatch.

BROKE AND FRUSTRATED Paget