328 HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 



Symington had a chance to spotlight the importance of hurrying 

 along with the development and use of Earth resources satellites. At 

 one point in the proceedings, spying Congressman Karth in the rear 

 of the audience, Symington modestly observed: 



I would like to call attention to the fact that we are graced at this time by the 

 presence of the former chairman of the Space Science and Applications Subcommittee, 

 Congressman Joseph Karth of Minnesota, who is sitting benignly in the back when 

 he should be here chairing these proceedings. 



He has done a great deal over the past years to stimulate the work of this commit- 

 tee and this panel. Congressman Karth was, somewhat like Elijah, drawn up to the 

 Ways and Means Committee from this terrain, where he now serves with great 

 distinction. 



When he assumed the chairmanship in January 1973, Symington 

 was assigned the following members to his subcommittee: 



Democrats Republicans 



James W. Symington, Missouri, Chairman Marvin L. Esch, Michigan 



Thomas N. Downing, Virginia Larry Winn, Jr., Kansas 



Bob Bergland, Minnesota Barry M. Goldwater, Jr., California 



George E. Brown, Jr., California John N. Happy Camp, Oklahoma 

 Dale Milford, Texas 



Symington, a literary master of the bon mot, regaled his listeners 

 and readers with the best prose which was ever developed on the Science 

 Committee. Serving successively as chairman of the Subcommittees on 

 International Cooperation in Science and Space, Space Science and 

 Applications, and Science, Research and Technology, Symington not 

 only provided vigorous leadership but also attracted the support and 

 esteem of scientific experts throughout the world. The dialogue with 

 the scientific community was lifted to a new level through his smooth 

 handling of complex and technical issues espoused by those approach- 

 ing genius in the areas of science and technology. 



In opening the first Space Science and Applications Subcommittee 

 over which he presided, Symington on March 1, 1973 paid tribute to 

 the efforts of his two predecessors, Karth and Downing for their sup- 

 port of a "more aggressive and vigorous applications program", 

 adding: 



I would like to take this opportunity to add my voice to theirs, and to note that 

 there is no NASA activity which is better understood or more widely supported by 

 the American public than the applications program. 



Both Symington and Bergland jumped on NASA witnesses for not 

 expressing sufficient enthusiasm for solar energy conversion. Bergland 

 put it this way: 



I don't like to sound like an alarmist, but * * * within ten years' time, qualified 

 experts in the field tell us we will see 75 cents a gallon gasoline in the United 

 States. * * * Mr. Chairman, I submit that we simply can't afford to proceed with such 

 a token effort in the field of solar energy conversion. 



