Bermuda shorts
Sir: I have read with interest David Cohen's article on Bermuda in the SPECTATOR for 24 October, in which he tells of his conversa- tion in May with Mrs Browne- Evans, the lawyer and leader of the PLP.
Unfortunately Mr Cohen has omitted many important facts about Bermuda which a conversa- tion with Sir Henry Tucker might have brought to light. He has made no mention of the fact that be- cause so many Bermudian black people arc self-employed it is im- possible to collect income tax, and therefore the fact that all taxation is direct may make incomes seem low and the cost of living high. If there arc any strata in Bermuda society then they arc most certainly not on grounds of colour but on grounds of wealth, though since the original settlers of the island were white it is quite natural that a majority of the wealthy inhabi- tants are white.
And furthermore, many of the population, both black and white, rely on tourism, of which I assume Mr Cohen was a part, to provide their livelihood. Take away what he refers to as 'rich, dollar-swollen tourists' and Bermuda will have the poverty problems which Mrs Browne-Evans admits they do not currently have. Surely Mr Cohen should realise that if you speak to the leader of a party dedicated to socialism then you will always hear stories of exploitation as a justification for that political viewpoint. He must also be aware that the PLP is par- ticularly misinformed if he looks at the reason why the PLP refused to meet Prince Charles on his Ber- mudian visit. This was supposedly as a protest against British arms sales to South Africa (which we have not yet resumed), against Britain not being tougher, presum- ably militarily, against Rhodesia (which strategically we are unable to be) and against the 'racial' im- migration policies of Britain (when the quota system applies to all members of the Commonwealth). Perhaps an explanation is required of why, if the United Bermuda , party has nothing in common with l the electorate, it is the majority • party. Finally, no correspondent will receive a balanced view of a trial ' if he relies entirely on the defence lawyer as his informant. The agita- tion of black power militants from the United States and the West Indies would appear to be the main cause of the current unrest, and it would be a great tragedy if the economy of the country, re- liant as it is on the tourist indus- try, should be damaged by these events. None would dispute that there are problems outstanding in Ber- muda, but I feel that its elected government is best equipped to deal with them. P. C. Keevil 3 Applegarth Road, London w14 Sir: I have been a reader of your estimable magazine for only two months and in that time have enjoyed the articles therein, not only for content, but for their clear and lucid style. However, I must differ with your Mr David Cohen in his presentation of the report from Bermuda (24 October). He states: The first families who settled the islands . . . and grabbed the most luscious bits for themselves'. This statement is not in accordance with the facts.
As a descendant of some of those early settlers, who left Yorkshire some 350 years ago—albeit happily —I can inform him that no one 'grabbed' anything. The early set- leis in these uninhabited islands were tenant farmers on land that was owned by the proprietors of the Bermuda Company—a City of London merchant operation. It was not until the reign of Queen Anne that Bermuda came under the jurisdiction of the Crown, at which time the then tenants were able to purchase the land they worked, and work they did: for tobacco was not practical and such living as there was came from and by the sea- ship-building, fishing, merchant sailing and occasional privateering.
After the slaves were freed in these islands in 1832—five years before the Emancipation Procla- mation—coloured and white Ber- inudians have worked together to build a happy and prosperous com- munity, which was fortunate enough to have a Royal Naval station and British Army garrison
izrfor almost 250 years—but never received financial assistance from estrninster. So successful were ey in their work that less for- ' tunates from the then impoverished , West Indies flocked to this happy !isle!
!islet Perhaps the next time Mr Cohen hrisits Bermuda he will give as much time to the members of the 350 year old families as he has apparently to those who are only three generations old in this Island life.
Grab it we did not—work for it we did.
I. Stuart Outerbridge Salmagundi, Front Street, Hamil- ton, Bermuda
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