Has anybody else noticed how much more they're paying lately to the Accountant General's office for various Government services? My latest payment was for my Post Office box rental (I have the smallest size). The new bill was for $50, which is $20 more than last year.

This $20 increase is a big chunk from my measly old-age pension, which I receive after having paid into the Social Insurance programme since it was first started. If the cost of Government services continues like this, pretty soon the Social Insurance Department might just as well keep my monthly pension and send it direct to the Accountant General's Office.

I suppose all these increases are necessary so that the members of the new Government can adopt a lifestyle to which they are not accustomed, while those of us who have worked so hard for many, many years will have to tighten our belts even more. I have come to the conclusion that this Government doesn't care a hoot about older people, so please, Mr. Editor, continue to keep us informed of Government spending.

WARWICK WEST PLP doing good things November 28, 1999 Dear Sir, If your newspaper is not being paid by the UBP, it should be. You do an excellent job of providing a political forum for them at the expense of fair reporting and respect for your readership. I wish I had time enough to comment on every article of yours that presented a biased, partisan view but that would be a full time job, since virtually every issue of your newspaper contains at least one, usually two, three, even four articles that are slanted.

Saturday's Report from the House was a case in point. It contained yet another attack on the new Land Tax evaluations. Buried in the very last paragraph was the fact that the UBP should have been re-evaluating Land Tax every five years under the regulations they themselves set, and then ignored for two consecutive periods (1989 and 1994, if I remember correctly). Very crafty reporting, Mr. Editor, but hardly objective.

Earlier this year, one of our premier cruise ships was abruptly re-routed to Europe and it suited your ends to report it as a catastrophe to tourism.

Recently, the PLP successfully negotiated a suitable replacement with a new, more cooperative, cruise line, and your newspaper chose to report the achievement as if the Minister for Tourism had snubbed the original cruise line by not accepting their replacement offer, one which clearly did not suit Bermuda's needs. Worse still, your report negatively contrasted the new contract, which included an innovative arrangement that would bring $1.8 million in revenue directly to Bermuda's merchants island-wide, to the offer of a boardwalk to be built at St. George (the original cruise ship line's proposition). For years, our local merchants have been voicing concerns about declining revenue. The PLP government has responded. A fair and unbiased report would have given credit for this achievement.

Much has been made of the PLP's election promise to provide 100 dwellings, which, if we were to believe your newspaper's criticism, has now been reduced to building 50 new units. Although I heard it on the radio, I do not remember seeing anything in print that Minister Nelson Bascome recently handed over the keys to 54 refurbished Baseland units. These dwellings, in addition to the planned construction, add up to more than 100, if any arithmetic is accurate.

Typically you've made no further mention of the housing that would have been available, had the UBP not deliberately destroyed I-don't-know-how-many potential housing units as their last act of spite during the Government changeover.

The spite has not abated either, now that the UBP are no longer the Government. It continues, aided and abetted by your newspaper. I want to remind you, though, -- you and the UBP -- that part of the reason they lost the election was because they thought Bermudians were stupid and forgetful.

Unfortunately for them, many of us are capable of reasoning and we have very long memories. We recognise the very same issues that you and they now complain about, were originally created by them. Our children didn't suddenly become illiterate on November 9, 1998. Schools didn't suddenly run out of textbooks then. Teacher, Police, Marine and Ports, Customs and all the others who have threatened strike action, didn't suddenly become dissatisfied. These problems, and many others presently being addressed by the PLP government, go back long before Election Day '98.

I, for one, can recognise that good things ARE happening under the PLP government, even though your paper persists in reporting otherwise.

SYLVIA HAYWARD-HARRIS Pembroke Conscription is wrong November 25, 1999 Dear Sir, I concur with the views of Patrick S. Trott that conscription should be abolished in Bermuda. Whatever the rationale for the Defence Act, 1965 may have been at that time, there is certainly no requirement in a micro-state for conscription at this time.

Service in the Bermuda Regiment should be entirely voluntary and I have no doubt of the Regiment's capability to attract the require number of volunteers for its purposes.

I have always had a problem comprehending how military law could be administered in a civil court. I find the sentence of imprisonment by a civil court for failure to attend military parades particularly disturbing. As a regular soldier in the British Army and in my capacity as Regimental Clerk I often drafted charges for disciplinary proceedings before the Commanding Officer and more seriously for Court Martial proceedings.

I was therefore appalled on the first occasion that I witnessed an individual being sentenced to a period of imprisonment in Magistrate's Court for failing to attend military parades. While it was repugnant to my sense of justice, at that time I did not feel constrained to comment. It was my hope that in time an explanation would be forthcoming, but 24 years later I am still amazed that this is accepted without challenge.

When I joined the British Army in 1962 for a six-year tour of duty, conscription had long been abolished. It is therefore difficult to understand why the Mother Country can survive without conscription, but the micro-colony finds it necessary to burden its young men with compulsory military service.

The Bermuda Constitution Order, 1968 provides inter alia that "No person shall be required to perform forced labour''. If it were not specifically excluded from this section of the Constitution, compulsory military service imposed on a reluctant young man would amount to "forced labour''.

I recall that during the 1977 civil disturbances the British Army was called in to provide internal security. In my opinion the training provided to members of the Bermuda Regiment is inadequate for any combatant role with a regular force. I therefore ask myself the question -- why conscription? While I am not personally affected by what I perceive as an unjust law, I felt constrained to lend my support to a voice in the wilderness.

DARCY R. LORD City of Hamilton `Stay Tuned' misses point November 25, 1999 Dear Sir, One has to wonder to which programme "Stay Tuned'' has been tuned (dated November 9, 1999). Not only is much of his letter erroneous and thinking illogical, he writes about a man long gone from these shores and, but for his many friends from every political walk of life, unable to defend himself.

Actually also probably unwilling to stoop to answer such political claptrap.

Perhaps "Stay Tuned'' should be reminded of the following facts: 1. Mr. Coxall was not a political appointee. Indeed his position was made untenable by a Cabinet Minister who only days before was about to appoint him for a second term.

2. Operation Cleansweep was organised entirely by Mr. Coxall, without the knowledge of any politician, including the Minister of Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety. The initial operation -- assisted by UK and US officers, who came here because they knew Coxall and his international reputation -- was entirely successful.

3 Unfortunately the law enforcers seem to have upset some "important'' people and the second phase follow through operation was quashed.

4. Yeah, right, there was no Bermudian who had Coxall's training, experience and, above all, contacts. Let us hope that the greatly improved training, started by Coxall, is bearing fruit or even God may not be able to help us -- in spite of what He Knows.

5. What a pity Coxall was not allowed to develop the strategy that he was trying to put in place -- by now we would have a better trained and equipped Police Service with crime going even further down rather than up. But then he would not have had the opportunity to advise various Governments, as he now does, on the finer points of modern policing.

With ignorant ill-timed people around he is no doubt infinitely better off -- and safer -- where he is. Good on you, Cobber Colin.

ANTHONY GOODFELLOW Paget Duty free raises service December 5, 1999 Dear Sir, Retailers will applaud your Editorial generally supporting the proposed Duty Free concept designed to: Recapture some of the business lost to overseas retailers.

Compete on a level price playing field with both e-commerce options and US retail prices.

Assist Tourism with the magic aura of Duty Free Shopping for visitors.

Arrest the rapid workforce erosion in Bermuda's largest employer of Bermudians.

Provide job security, advancement prospects and self-esteem to many that now fear for their jobs.

Of concern is your comment that it is hoped that the `dismal service' in shops will also improve. With respect, it is remarkable that the service has remained at the relatively high standard prevailing.

Many in the business would wish to point out the obvious. That is that poor service, in any industry, is destructive to business. However, the first to suffer in the strictures of Bermuda's worsening retail crisis, as in any industry implosion, is employment. In Retail, as is reflected in ongoing Manpower Surveys, this is manifested first in cuts in management, numbers of assistants and back office personnel. This immediately translates into poor floor coverage, less frequent inventory replenishment and a simpler, narrower, less exciting selection. A stretched-thin re-order function risks frequent stock-outs and customer disappointment.

A Duty Free programme to revitalise the industry will do much to correct this.

A level playing field, price-wise with the US, will increase sales.

Efficiencies generated by increased sales will automatically increase the dollar payroll component; this will enable improved pay scales, job training, job coverage and job security.

In your street survey that clearly supported the idea of Duty Free Shopping, there were nevertheless a couple of comments that suggested there might be `problems' for residents. It is not clear what problems lower prices could conceivably create for people attempting to make both ends meet, but is worth drawing attention to your graphs in "Bottom Line''.

These show that the declared value at the airport of overseas shopping for clothing alone, based on quarter 2, and increasing at a million dollars a quarter, was then $14 million per annum. As the payroll and benefits component of those purchases in that sector of the industry, if they had been made in Bermuda, is approximately 30 percent, (24 percent in the US), the lost payroll to Bermudians is $4.2 million. This landslide of Bermudian business driven overseas by the present tariff represents approximately 150 part- or full-time annual pay cheques -- the cost to Bermudian retail industry employees. It may not sound much to some, or important to sectors of the `upper tier' in the two-tier economy, but some people have to pay the rents the upper tier have escalated.

RETAILER City of Hamilton Praise for hospital care The following was sent to Mr. Alwyn Savery -- Director of Patient Relations & Quality Improvement, Bermuda Hospitals Board, and copied to The Royal Gazette .

December 3, 1999 Dear Sir, On Saturday November 20, 1999, I had the privilege, yes privilege, of being admitted to the Cooper Ward diagnosed with diverticulitis.

From the time I presented in the emergency room to the day of discharge (November 29), my life and well-being was in the hands of some of the very best healthcare professionals in the field. As you are aware, I have worked in the healthcare arena for over 25 years and have worked with various disciplines in a number of hospitals throughout the United States. I have even served as a Locum Medical Social Worker under the astute supervision of the late Ms. Darlene Jordan, MSW ACSW, as well as having provided in-service training to Bermuda Hospitals Board staff.

I've always found the staff at the KEMH and St. Brendan's to be professionally balanced and current in their knowledge base. However, during my recent stay at KEMH, I had the opportunity to experience healthcare at is best. The nursing and auxiliary team members on the Cooper Ward consistently demonstrated commitment, knowledge and compassion along with a desire to serve. These are attributes seldom recognised in large hospital settings and I am proud to say they exist in the KEMH's Cooper Ward.

It is vitally important for us to place our time and energy in the positive things all around us. There seems to be an inordinate amount of focus on the negative when, in fact, the negative is usually in the minority. I simply wish to thank each team member for loving me back to health while demonstrating the true and operational definition of "the healthcare professional''.

Mr. Savery, you and all the administrators of the Bermuda Hospitals Board should be proud of the stellar work being performed at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital's Cooper Ward. God bless you all.

AUSTIN WARNER JR.

City of Hamilton