Cowardice asks the question "Is it safe?" Expediency, "Is it politic?" Vanity, "is it popular?" But conscience asks the question, "Is it right?" - Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr

NOT LONG AFTER completion of the Tom Adams Financial Centre one heard that it was a waste, it was luxuriously large; soon, that it was too small.

The Frank Collymore Hall, seating fewer than 500 people, was thought to be an expensive showpiece. Today, oh for 1 000 seats to complete this masterpiece to the development of art and theatre in this country!

The Grantley Adams International Airport, said to be too large, had no need for air bridges and the arrivals hall would hardly ever be filled. Yet, we have seen ongoing construction; both the arrivals and departure halls have been extended and space at the check-in counters to service the several airlines routing through Barbados has been a headache.

We need hardly look at the recently constructed secondary schools. Often it has been necessary to conduct classes in the open but more importantly, classrooms have had to accommodate a higher number of pupils than is considered best practice.

Our biggest venture, the ABC Highway, tells its own tale. Rightly thought to be the way to opening up the north of the country to tourism and industrial development, as well as transforming The Belle, Lower Estate and Warrens corridor into a business park, no doubt because it was felt "not to be popular", we decided against more than a single lane highway.

Today, not only are we bending our backs under the financial strain of a two-lane highway but those who look with a keen eye can discern the need for a four-lane highway to be imminent.

Our tourism industry has blossomed pleasingly. Our long stays and cruise statistics have mushroomed to the extent we realise the need to extend the Bridgetown Port to accommodate both cargo and tourist liners without having, as is now the case, to defer unloading of cargo while tourist liners are in port.

This expansion to our port facilities is not yet seriously under way. We have lost sizeable transhipment business to Jamaica and St Lucia. We have not been able to cater to dry docking of vessels and the yacht business has all but bypassed us. Port St Charles has attempted to fill the breach.

We now come to the Barbados Supreme Court Complex. Immaculate in appearance, it is said to be furnished with state-of-the-art equipment. Offering suitable accommodation to the judiciary, a situation long overdue, the opportunity was taken to revise procedures with a view to speeding up the time taken to hear and or complete litigation,

The lawyers, we understand are unhappy about their facilities, including access to the law library. A legal operative was heard to say "we were not asked one question prior to or during construction and outfitting".

We have heard this before.