and what do you see? You see an old fashioned steam engine pulling passenger cars. You see Lourists, train buffs, picnickers and all their turbulent get, eating sandwiches, filling the air with the smell of orange peel and generally having fun. Also, you see one of the last Canadian passenger trains of any type, steam, diesel or electric. The country is getting rid of almost ail the other passenger trains. One thing you do not see when the Royal Hudson goes by, al- though it is, like the train itself, an anachronism. You have no way of perceiving that this train repre- sents one of the few scattered triumphs of an elected politician over the civil servants who are supposed to be serving him. Paul St. Pierre It is a truth, although an un- popular one, that politicians in B.C. increasingly adopt a symbo!- ic position in governing. Decade by decade, they come to resemble ever more The Queen, reigning but not ruling. They differ from Her Majesty in that they are fre- quently replaced by symbolic substitutes from other parties. In a modern democracy some voters think that they are controll- ing their destinies by electing one . political party or another much as seagulls which follow the ferry to Victoria think that they are steer- ing the ship because they squawk so well. Now and then, usually hidden from the public view, there occurs a small revolt of a politician against bureaucratic powers of misdirection, delay, diversion and committee formation — all those procedures by which the im- plementation of policies they dislike and encourage the im- plementation of others they prefer. One such small revolt led to the introduction of the Royal Hudson steam train. When the New Democratic Par- ty was elected in 1972, its leader, Dave Barrett, automatically replaced W.A.C. Bennett on the government owned railway’s board of directors. M1. Barrett speaks as follows: “At the first meeting of the the STATION MUSEUM New Summer Hours Wednesday-Sunday / ipm-5pm till the end of August Jones & 16th St. Mahon Park « N.Vancouver PAULITICS & PERSPECTIVES And sometimes < politicians win LOOK AT the Royal Hudson chuffling up Howe Sound board which included me, J sug- vested that it might be a good idea to buy one of the old CPR or CNR steam engines and run tourist excursions on B.C. Rail. “Everybody said this was a good idea. They were all bureau- erats, They learn to say that to anybody who gets elected. Great idea! Of course then they went to the second part, saying that it was quite impossible Mr. Premier, completely impossible. An idea that had been examined many times but found to be un- workable. A terrible pity, wasn't it, it being such a fine idea. **So I said to them ‘Now it’s my turn to be sorry. I apologize. | didn’t make myself clear. You see I wasn't asking for your opinion. I was telling you to do some- thing.’ ‘There is a sort of disturbance that passes among them when somebody from the elected side, like a premier, interferes with their operations. However, the matter was — yes, you’ve guessed it — referred to a committee for study. ‘*When we met a month later, the whole meeting was winding up with no mention of a steam train. ‘By the way,’ | said, ‘About the steam train idea ...’ It was in pro- cess. It was being studied. In due course ... on and on. “*t didn’t say anything more. | just nodded my head.” “*We met a third month. All the business was winding up. We were about to adjourn. ‘By the way,’ | said, ‘About that steam train ...’ **lt was in process. Studies were proceeding. In due course.”’ ‘“D'm sorry,’ | said, ‘1 am guil- ty. TL have failed to make myself understood. So here and now | am going to say something that everybody at this board table is going to understand. You see that chair there?’ I pointed at one of the chairs. “When we next meet, a month from now, if we have not ac- quired a steam engine, whoever is sitting in that chair is going to be fired. Now you can change seating arrangements any way you like. It doesn’t matter to me who you seat there. Just be sure that SOME- BODY is in THAT chair, because he is the one who is going to be fired.’ "’ Before the next meeting was held, B.C. Railway had acquired the Royal Hudson. The rest is his- tory. When reminded of this Mr. Barrett, now an Opposition MP in Ottawa, said, ‘‘What really bugg- ed me was that when we finally got the Royal Hudson operating, those same bureaucrats claimed all the credit for it.’” PD ESTON. ¢ TINTING | FROM CONCEPT YO FINISHED PRODUCT paper available 2443 Manne Deve. West Vancouver 922-0247 Bowen 947-9745. 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