I don't have any sympathy for the Bermuda Telephone Company or Mr. Burgess and his BIU members who give poor service. The owners of the telephone company should have "a profit shock'' because its management has not done enough over the last couple of years to get ready for the American Government's change in rate. If you look at Telco's costs, it is spending hundreds of thousands, if not a million or two fighting its competition. That money could be used for profits. Telco says that our line rates are cheaper than the United States but what about the service? It must have hundreds, if not a few thousand lines that need to be installed and these can produce revenue. There isn't a person who has not had to wait many weeks for a line to be installed. Some service compared to the States! Telco wants to charge four cents per minute for ancillary services. I hope the Government does not agree because you know that they would want to charge the same huge amount beyond their costs for Telco's competition, Bermuda Digital and Quantum to connect. It would just be another way of keeping the bloated company bloated with bloated profits.

A $7 million profit on $42 million worth of sales means that it has a net profit margin of over 16 percent! What does it do with this money besides spending a lot on legal costs? It spends its money on killing the competition.

Logic was set up and should have competed with Telco in internet telephone and other communications. This did not happen, the UBP Government agreed, wrongly, for it to be gobbled up. Now, the PLP Government has a chance to correct the situation by preventing Telco from buying Cablevision which can also be a competitor. Cable companies can easily go into the telephone business. It has lines going to people's houses too.

Every business in this Island has had to grow up to changes in its market, it is now time for Telco to do so, and stop gouging the Island. Look what Telco and Island Press did with the Yellow Pages, raised prices over 50 percent in one year and its costs did not go up by very much. Government needs to look into that too.

Anyway, Government should say here's a 20 percent increase in local rates, get your act together, take less profit like the real world and come back and see us in six months.

Everybody knows that as the overseas rates go down more and more people use it so the volume goes up and guess who wins -- Telco.

JUGULAR Pembroke Down with rate hike January 14, 1999 The following letter was sent to the Telecommunications Commission and copied to The Royal Gazette .

*** Dear Sir, Re: Proposed BTC rate hike.

This is to inform you that I am in complete agreement with lawyer Juliana Jack ( Royal Gazette January 14, 1999) concerning the above.

This outrageous rate hike of over 100 percent (come July) is completely unjustified. It not only hurts the elderly, but also hurts the ordinary working man/woman. This act will be nothing but an act of greed. For years too many companies have gotten away with murder by charging whatever they wanted to, and, because BTC is now faced with some competition, they are trying to justify their actions by saying that jobs will be lost, and they stand to lose millions due to the cut in overseas' rates. This I do not believe.

Bermudians have always had to pay the going price because they had no other options, and when we finally get some options, we are seeing these unethical price hikes come into play. There is one company, namely Logic Communications, that will charge a person an extra $5 for their Internet services when paying by cheque, saying that it is "Cheque Handling Charges''. Can you imagine if for every cheque a person writes, they are charged an extra $5; the cost would be astronomical. These are just some of the practices that some companies have instituted and they must be stopped before the populace is milked to death with all of these extra charges. Some people work just to pay their rent and keep food on the table. If these outrageous practices (i.e. the BTC rate hike) continue, one will have to secure another job in order to afford a telephone which no doubt, will become a luxury item if this price hike comes into effect.

So in closing, I am definitely against this proposed BTC rate hike, and hope that common sense prevails when this price hike is being considered.

PATRICIA E. FERGUSON Warwick Let common sense prevail Dear Sir, Cruelty at the racetrack is it true or false? For me, a horse lover, I am against harsh treatment to these lovely animals in any way or form. I do believe that some people are more rough to their ponies than others, but to be cruel that is hard to believe but then again some are.

It is pathetic to see people wanting to win or place so badly they are even willing to sacrifice the health of their racing ponies for it. The ones who own the animals must get past the stage of winning is all that matters, because really let me ask you something? Are you really going to degrade yourself to that level, to look past your pony's health, or is winning that important just to say I came in first with a good time? Be mature, and I do encourage you when you do harness racing to try to win or place with all your ability, but don't bring cruelty in it. Find a way to get along with your racing ponies, and not be against him or her. If you want a better performance, listen to what I have just written.

In general for all you harness racing people, I say, "Let common sense be your guide on the track'' as well as something also extremely important: Kindness.

KENNETH MINORS Paget Cutting Bermudian jobs January 7, 1999 Dear Sir, Canadian Lorraine Lyle, Bermuda Telephone Company's CEO, is another non-Bermudian in charge, in Bermuda. Lorraine Lyle is another non-Bermudian in a position of power, authority and influence over the lives of Bermudians.

Lorraine Lyle is another non-Bermudian like Mottley, like Coxall, like Hull who lack the necessary sensitivity, intuition, compassion and flavour of a home-grown Bermudian.

Perhaps that's the real reason Mr. Editor, why the BTC, a Bermudian company, has no problem cutting 100 Bermudian jobs! DR. CLARK GODWIN City of Hamilton