I REFER to Mr Jeremy M. Barr's letter ''Race should not be the issue'' (South China Morning Post, April 20), with scepticism. I am surprised that his ''vision of joy in the world'' could be so myopic. His reference to some of your readers' racial intolerance, is no more different than Britain's intolerant attitude to the people of Hongkong, with Mr Norman Tebbit's explanation that Britain is not in a position to grant full British passports simply because of the ''strain'' it would put on the attitude and social fabric of the British people in accepting over six million Chinese. To answer Mr Barr's ridiculous and hypothetical question of ''what if you left off the racial classifier?'', I can only say that I cannot imagine thousands of gweilos (or non-Filipinos for that matter) sitting on the streets and pavements of Central all Sunday, all along the overhead walkways at Murray Road Car Park and at Chater Gardens, and leaving a greater quantity of litter scattered around for the Urban Council to pick up. I cannot but feel disappointed for the local retailers. Perhaps the Mandarin Oriental or Prince's Building should consider letting their ground floor premises to other businesses which may be more to our local domestic helpers' liking? I ask only one question. Is it really so difficult for them to mingle with the local population? What about seeing a film, going to Ocean Park or for a walk in other parts of Hongkong? I do not believe that our domestic helpers are short on such funds to do so. SIMON K. CHAU Central SO now Filipinos know the truth: all those campaign promises by presidential candidates assuring us domestics here that we would soon be able to go home to our families and have decent jobs were all just PALABAS - political show, empty words. By announcing that he will ask the Chinese authorities to allow Filipino migrant workers to stay on in Hongkong after 1997 (South China Morning Post, April 20), President Ramos is admitting there is no future for us in our own country. We will continue to work like slaves all over the world because this administration is just as inept and corrupt as all the others before it. ELSA KATARUNGAN Wan Chai
