SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, 1970-79 539 



FLOWERS MAKES LAST PLEA FOR GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION 



For his swan song before retiring to run unsuccessfully for the 

 U.S. Senate, Flowers made his last appeal for wider geographical dis- 

 tribution. To assurances from the staff that NSF was really concerned 

 about the issue, Flowers plaintively observed: 



I am wondering if it will be another false promise from the NSF or if it really 

 offers any hope for us poor guys from the hinterlands. I notice the gentleman that 

 I'm directing this question to is from the other hinterlands of our great Nation. This 

 has been one of my pet frustrations, you might say, for about 7 years. I used to get 

 real excited about it and get worked up. Maybe I'm getting older and not as mean 

 as I used to be. I didn't go to the NSF hearings any more or badger the Director of 

 the NSF. 



Harkin responded that "we have talked to Dr. Atkinson at length 

 about this personally. They know our concern." Trying to be helpful, 

 Harkin added: 



If they don't start moving in that direction, we are going to have to keep badger- 

 ing them or do something to make sure they do move. 



Flowers was not impressed, and small wonder, in light of his 

 experience in the past. He boldly recommended: 



I would suggest one sure way to get their attention would be to reduce their 

 authorization by about 50 percent. Sometimes, when you are trying to lead an old 

 mule, you put something loose around his head and you don't accomplish very much. 

 But if you put a tight bit in his mouth, he understands you mean business. That is 

 the way I feel about the NSF on this issue. 



As usually happened in debates of this nature, the Congressmen 

 from the "have" States threw up a smokescreen of both jocular and 

 serious protests. Wydler reminded Harkin, who had just returned from 

 a trip to Antarctica: 



I notice the gentleman seems very concerned about the hinterlands, whatever 

 that is. And you are increasing the spending that will be done in Antarctica — well, 

 that is really out there. I don't know how you will get more into the hinterlands 

 than Antarctica. * * * The great State of Alabama is doing pretty well with the Federal 

 Government. I don't know what it is that they are complaining about. What is it 

 that you arc not getting that you want? You've got nearly everything now. What 

 more can we give you? 



When the staff pointed out that the most recent NSF figures 

 showed California getting $117,256,000, New York totaling $77,600,- 

 000, Iowa $4,893,000, and Alabama $2,336,000, this moved Scheuer 

 to say with all seriousness: 



I think the peer review system is working. I think it is ferreting out talent 

 wherever it is, and with all our problems in New York and Pittsburgh and Boston 

 and San Francisco, we only had a few things going for us. One ol these things is 

 existing aggregation of scientific talent. 



