Axed Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson warned against power going to the heads of leaders but denied it was a coded attack on the current Government.

In a speech to Hamilton Rotarians he said service before self should be the motto but too many in leadership got caught up with the trappings of power.

After the speech Mr. Hodgson said people would draw their own conclusions on what he was referring to but he stressed that the problem applied in all walks of life -- including the church.

He said it was the "Bermudian malaise.'' He told The Royal Gazette : "There was an editorial recently saying Jack Sharpe looked kind of cute on a Mobylette but those days are gone.

"But Bermuda is only a country of 60,000 people and I don't see anything wrong with Jack Sharpe riding a Mobylette.'' Asked whether he was referring to the issue of bigger cars for Government ministers Mr. Hodgson said: "Not just cars, I don't want to get into whether cars are a couple of inches bigger, just generally our self-concept.

"We tend to think of America because it is on the news every night and President Clinton is the leader of America and the next thing we will have an Airforce One.

"This is always a danger -- but you can apply it to church leaders.

"They get bigger than the people they are serving. If you are bigger than the person you are serving then you are probably too big.

"In any group of people you put together as soon as one of them is chosen there is the danger that Christ alluded to -- that the gentiles lorded it over one another.

"The idea of service is one that one has to conscientiously do.

"It's not the natural inclination to serve. You have to make a determined effort.'' Asked about where he would be serving in the future after his sacking Mr.

Hodgson was cryptic, though he did reveal he would not be going back to criminal law.

He said: "The servant simply makes himself available, it's for people to determine whether service is required.'' Power point: Sacked Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson warned against the dangers of leaders getting carried away with their own authority at a speech for the Hamilton Rotarians yesterday.