The Editor, Sir:

Labour Day is intended for people to show solidarity and support for community building. The volun-teerism, cooperation and spirit of goodwill are also essential building blocks in nation building.

We know that not everyone will participate in a Labour Day project. Some use the day for family visits, rest or their regular work.

However, I think it is a stark contradiction to the intention and spirit of Labour Day that a number of persons spend the day at the race track. The majority of these persons are men.

In this way, we lose a lot of manpower. We lose their insightful input, their creativity, their skills, their presence. Sure, we have a lot of woman power, but many hands - and hearts and minds - make light work.

We could understand and make reasonable excuse if these persons were part of the essential services like national security, health or supplying utilities. But horse racing?

Could we consider not having races on aday like Labour Day? We could do without the distraction. Interests of the racing industry might object that they would lose much money, probably millions of dollars. That may be so, but the country stands to lose even more.

We would lose some intangible values, some things that money cannot buy, like the sense of satisfaction on a job well done.

I make an appeal to all well-thinking Jamaicans, let's put hands, hearts and minds into working together for the upliftment of our communities and our country.

I am, etc.,

ORAL WHITE

oralowhite@hotmail.com

Golden Grove P.O.

St. Thomas

Via Go-Jamaica