THE EDITOR: I think you are doing a wonderful job of delivering the Trinidad and Tobago news to Trinidadians who live abroad but still want to keep up to date with what’s going on at home. Thank you.

DOLLY M EMMANUEL
New York

THE EDITOR: I am writing to you on behalf of my father Mr E Russell. He is trying by all means to get his point heard with absolutely no success.

A complaint was made to the police in Carnival 2003 about merchandise worth a substantial amount stolen/sold from our home in Curepe by someone residing there at the time. This was unknown to my father or anyone for that matter, until his arrival to the country. Though this case made local newspapers, the matter was never thoroughly tended to by investigating officers. An arrest was made, information was given by the arrestee and certain properties were reclaimed but the most valuable and treasured possessions that were listed for the officers were never returned to us; even though they had tips to where the most valuable of merchandise was located and who the recipient was. Though this information was given, it was never investigated.

We received many promises from police officers working the case; reassuring us that our lost possessions would be returned. As time went by it seemed as though the tables turned and the officers’ patience was running thin. Instead of these officers doing their job, they started treating us as though we were the culprits and not the victims. After all, is it not their job to protect and serve? Well, I personally didn’t appreciate their thoroughness nor the process by which they handled themselves and us (the victims). They were very unprofessional.

Anyway, making a long story short. Time was wasted and nothing or no one came to us after many attempts at trying to get an official to at least keep us updated with the happenings of the case and despite generous assistance from friends familiar with the process and the way things work, no one seemed to care. So we turn now to you, our local press, to help us get the word out there. It is very unfair to us or to anyone to be treated the way we were. We tried very hard to cooperate and work with the authorities the best way we knew how but they just gave us the boot. I am not going to assume that they were hiding something or maybe knew a little more than they bargained for as time progressed and information about the whereabouts of our merchandise came to light, hence the reason why this particular case is no longer being pursued. I have faith in my country’s justice system though. Our goal now is to get some type of assistance or advice as to how to go about ending this unnecessary lengthy process. Despite our system’s many mistakes, I am hoping that they do prevail and my father receives some sort of satisfactory closure to this case.

E HENRY
Port-of-Spain

THE EDITOR: Now that Secretaries Week is once again upon us, as a retired/tired typist I would like to recognise all the hardworking typists/data entry clerks or whatever they are referred to in their workplace. This class of worker hardly ever gets the kudos, attention, appreciation that is deserved. Having worked in the insurance, financial and other fields for over a period of 30 years, I can sympathise with these workers who perform a multitude of tasks but are never paid what is their due (in most organisations.)

They are the ones who normally open the mail, distribute it, type most of the offices’ correspondence and have to deal with bad, illegible handwriting, irate customers. With the coming of the computer age it seems like people who write letters to various organisations, etc look for the smallest font in which to do so. So the poor typist gets a lot of eye strain. To those organisations who have these endangered species in their employ, I plead with you to appreciate them on Secretary’s Day with maybe lunch, chocolate, stop by their desk and give a little thank you (other members of staff could do the same) because this worker should be deserving of such, together with at least the benefit of vision care and a salary of not less than $3,300 per month. This is not a worker who should be working for minimum wage, as is the case in many organisations.

I remember when I worked in a lawyer’s office, typing legal briefs, etc, my salary was so small even though my boss had a lot of high-paying influential clients, and I understand not much has changed in this quarter. Someone who sits at a typewriter or computer all day (especially a computer) should be allowed at least seven minutes off that chair every hour to stretch legs, rest eyes, etc. How many bosses know this? How many typists/operators know this? Demand your rights, including a living wage right now. Form yourselves into an organisation. So to all the typists, data input operators, etc (or whatever you are referred to in your place of work), on Secretary’s Day, pat yourself on the back because you more than deserve it. I sincerely ask your appreciative bosses to buy you flowers, take you to lunch or better yet give you a raise I know you deserve.

BRIANNA WELLS
Bonne Aventure

THE EDITOR: Mr Peter Quentrall-Thomas, in his latest letter, continues to whine about the death penalty not being a deterrent to crime. Well, every time he writes I will also add my bit and point out to him that jail is not a deterrent to violence/crime of any sort, and capital punishment may not be a deterrent to murder; it is just the punishment, and an applicable punishment to boot!

GORDON HENRY
Port-of-Spain

THE EDITOR: Please publish this as an open letter to the Honourable Minister of Health.

The entire country is concerned that you want to bring in Cubans. The general behaviour pattern of these people is well known. Right now there will be plenty of them willing to come to this paradise because they all want to get out of Cuba. When they find ways and means not to return are you going to give them asylum or residency Mr Minister? These people have been trained at the expense of their state and don’t want to give back to the state that nurtured them. Is that a work ethic the Ministry of Health wants to encourage. Think again Mr Minister. The reputation for Cubans not to go back to their country is international.

C BONITA
Port-of-Spain

THE EDITOR: Dr B Chapman Boyd (Newsday letters April 23) is, of course, quite right in visiting the irrelevancies listed by Minister Franklyn Khan in his home cooked (and half baked?) analysis of our traffic problems.

Drive out of Port-of-Spain in the evening and see the motorcycle cops streaming back to their station to clock-out for the day! See them in the morning waving drivers through a green light (we so dotish we “doh know” what a green light means?) Immediately after five persons were killed in a weekend of carnage on the highways (driving into a river….driving into oncoming traffic on a dual carriageway, driving off a straight road and colliding with a lamp-post with the right side of the vehicle….!!) the police are reported as arresting some boys for playing “whappie” under a street light – in a country where we have institutionalise Government-sanctioned gambling!! For sanity’s sake let us have some proper forensic investigations of these fatal accidents and put the blame where it lies – alcohol, drag racing, or a combination of both. Let us get out of this habit of ignoring our serious problems by our practiced pretence that they do not really exist. It is intellectually dishonest and lazy.

Why cannot our analytical Minister of Works and Transport comment on the suggestion that we relieve hundreds of tired, frustrated and frazzled North-South commuters of their daily (and risky) grind by providing a fast, comfortable and convenient Ferry Service so that they can reserve their driving hours for weekend recreation? Why cannot he give his opinion about that topic instead of commenting on “billboards” and “illegal” (?) Access(es) to Highways (why not simply wall them of?) Why not wider and additional Highways? Why not the decades-late traffic intersection at you-know-where? Why not solar panels at major traffic lights to keep them operating power cuts (when, inevitably, one, two or up to seven die as a result)? Why not in fact, something serious and relevant as Dr Chapman Boyd is advocating in place of the usual UNC-PNM political play acting mumbo jumbo.

GEOFF HUDSON
Port-of-Spain

THE EDITOR: In 1955 the Aussies came here to the Caribbean with a very strong team with Ian Johnson the skipper. Their two main fast bowlers were Lindwall and Miller. I remember in the first test match in Jamaica they opened with Arthur Morris and McDonald who made 65 and 50 respectively. Harvey and Miller made 133 and 147 respectively. They were 515 for nine declared. They won the match by nine wickets.

In the 2nd test here at the Oval, I remember Collie Smith who made a century in the 1st test made a pair. Another Smith (Devon) also made a pair against the Aussies at the Oval again. What an accident? I remember Walcott made five centuries against Australia here, on two occasions he made centuries in both innings. In the 4th test in Barbados Atkinson and Depesa batted for a whole day to save the match. Australia made 659 in their 1st innings. Those were the days of the 3 Ws.

Now for the 3rd test in Barbados, there must be a few changes. I think the air is clear with Gayle now and he should be in for the 3rd test. Chanderpaul and Jacob should be OK by now. We shouldn’t depend on Samuel as a spinner. Gayle is much the better one, and Samuel failed three times in four innings. What about Bernard, do you think he deserved another chance? I think Best should replace Collins. I keep wondering why Sarwan is vice-captain before Chander-paul. I have Ganga to open with Gayle, so my 11 in order of appearance looks like: Gayle, Ganga, Sarwan, Lara, Chanderpaul, Hinds, Jacobs, Drakes, Dillon, Best and Powell. My advise to Lara is that he should not make any batsman get too accustomed with one bowler, just keep changing them around, so let’s see what will take place in Barbados.

BENSON BELFON
San Fernando

THE EDITOR: It is said that Saddam Hussein was a dictator and he took oppressive measures against his people in Iraq which was extremely wrong, but was it right to kill so many innocent people while looking for Saddam? Two wrongs don’t make a right, and certainly in this case it did not. I found that some serious dialogue should have been used rather than those drastic measures of that spine-chilling invasion where so many young children died, and some were left maimed in some instances losing both arms.

I do not call this attack a war, but an invasion. In spite of all the damage, where is Saddam Hussein? He is so elusive and finding him will not be an easy task. I am sure he made preparations for his great escape before the invasion, so the losing of innocent lives is a great tragedy that will last forever in the minds of those sad families who lost their loved ones. It is a pity that President Bush and Mr Blair had to resort to these means to get Saddam. They should have made a greater effort to settle this serious issue. The bombings of Iraq took many innocent lives, talks should have been held with Saddam instead.

A report in the “Newsday” Saturday April 19 tells of a family in Basra that was destroyed by the bombings. Mr Abid Hassan Hamood, 72, said his family was wiped out when an aircraft bombed his home in Basra. He said he lost ten of his family, his son, a doctor, his daughter, a mycologist and his three sons. This is really heart-breaking to see a family destroyed for no reason at all when they are not responsible for Saddam’s behaviour, and the destruction of such qualified people. It is really sad to see the lives lost innocently. Almighty God the Creator has always spoken of love, and peace while loving one another, and not living in hate and the destruction of one another, but the world has become Satan’s playground.

The coalition has liberated the country from Saddam without finding him, but has destroyed many families which would never be forgotten by these people who went through this trauma of one minute seeing and speaking to their families, and then disaster while not finding Saddam or the weapons of mass destruction. I hope this invasion would end soon, but the other battle is restoring law and order in Iraq. The responsibility lies with President Bush and Mr Blair to find a suitable caretaker government to put in place to lead the country democratically. I hope that peace would prevail for the people’s sake.

HORACE DESORMEAUX
Maraval

THE EDITOR: I still have hope that the West Indies can take possession of the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy. I will show you how. Australia has now won two Test matches in the four match series. This means that if the West Indies were to win the next two matches the series would be tied 2-2. Following the logic of our esteemed former President (ANR Robinson) this could result in the West Indies taking the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy from the Australians even though the series is tied!!

We could always use some totally subjective, impossible to prove reason like “the crowds liked us better”, or “the West Indies played more exciting cricket”, or maybe “well the West Indies is the more improved team”. I hope our Aussie friends are aware of this kind of logic that applies in this part of the world.

NAUSHAD KHAN
Valsayn

THE EDITOR: I couldn’t agree more with the Government wanting to restructure the management of BWIA. There has to be change if the airline is to move forward. There are too many “business plans” that do not seem to be working.

One position I have been calling for change is the position of the top marketing post which is held by a certain person based in Barbados. To me this is a waste of resources. Why can’t that position be held by a qualified Trinidadian based in Trinidad? Why is there an office in Barbados and an office in Trinidad for that same person? The question of management change must be assiduously addressed if we are to move forward positively.

DAVID EDWARDS
Port-of-Spain