50 The Inexhaustible Resource of Technology 



search accomplishments of physical and biological scientists and the 

 technological advances of the engineers. 



To judge from the records of the Governors' Conference, many of 

 the men who assisted Gifford Pinchot and Theodore Roosevelt in its 

 organization were the younger associates or successors of a small 

 group of scientists, engineers, and administrators who were active in 

 Washington during the last quarter of the nineteenth century, and who 

 had participated in the explorations that led to the opening of the 

 West. Later they had become involved in the problems that arose 

 during its development. Through their association with both the gov- 

 ernmental and scientific agencies in Washington and the national pro- 

 fessional organizations, they exerted a considerable influence on both 

 the intellectual and political thinking of the country. 



Several of the early geologists and engineers of the Geological Sur- 

 vey were members of this group. One of them, John Wesley Powell, 

 the second Director of the Survey, was especially influential. 



One of the photographs which adorns the Survey Director's study 

 is of the Survey "lunch mess" of the nineties. This was one of several 

 similar gatherings that appear to have been a feature of the scientific 

 bureaus of Washington in the latter part of the last century. Besides 

 Powell, it includes WJ McGee and F. H. Newell, two men who 

 appear to have played major roles in assisting Pinchot to organize the 

 1908 meeting. It also includes at least four others who were "general 

 guests" of the White House conference. One can imagine that the 

 discussions at such luncheon gatherings were instrumental in formu- 

 lating the plans and developing the policies of the newly emerging 

 conservation group. Their proposals must have been especially effec- 

 tive since they were based on the knowledge of individuals who had 

 appraised the resources of newly explored regions and had endeav- 

 ored to control their development. 



In developing my thesis that science and technology have changed 

 the nature and objectives of the conservation movement, I propose 

 first to review the original concept of conservation, next to examine 

 the present situation in several of the resource fields in comparison 

 with that pictured by the speakers at the Governors' Conference in 

 1908, and finally to suggest some conclusions that seem to me to fol- 

 low from this review. 



