criminal justice.

"We do believe that we can provide the assistance for which we were invited by establishing a modest signpost,'' the Chief Inspector of Prisons in England and Wales said of his recommendations.

How far has Bermuda travelled on that road? Deputy Premier Jerome Dill, chairman of a Cabinet Committee set up to put in place Tumim's proposals, was keen to give the lie to ritual accusations about Government reports gathering dust.

One of the Committee's briefs was to "investigate the perceptions that persons of different races and different backgrounds are treated differently by the system''.

This task had been assigned to the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality (CURE).

A copy of the report "Bermuda's Stride Toward the Twenty-First Century'' compiled from 11 years' statistics by American socio-economist Dr. Dorothy Newman had also been given to CURE, Mr. Dill added.

Other steps have included: The creation of CURE following his suggestion a body be set up to investigate race relations; The removal of mandatory sentences for traffic offences. "Now you get far fewer prison terms for these,'' said Mr. Dill; The possibility of placing the delegated powers of Police, Probation and Prison Services under the same Ministry was under review; CURE was looking into the abolition of such offences as wandering abroad or any laws that appeared to discriminate on the basis of race; The abolition of offences like wandering aboard was being examined; and Video and tape recording of Police suspects was likely to become a reality.

Said Mr. Dill: "I constantly say, let us not forget it was only in the '60s that universal adult suffrage came to Bermuda.

"We are the first generation to grow up in universal adult suffrage. It doesn't take a social scientist to appreciate there will be difficulties associated with the racial past. We have, however, come a long way.''