The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1952-06-06
Parkinson Replies To
Pilgeram

Pilgeram
Editor, The Peoples Voice:
On May 9th you published a letter
by one w. p. Pilgeram under the head
line, Parkinson Challenged on Off
Shore Oil Assertions" | wish to thank
him for his complimentary, courteous
references to myself, and to state that
of course it was only TO be expected
of responsible official of the State
Land office. May / reciprocate by say
ing, Same to you"
Strangely enough, Mr.. Pilgeram de-
votes his whole letter to a TRADE of
abuse, sarcasm. and belittlement of my
self, and except for the headline, never
mentions oil or ,off-shore oil lands
again anywhere in his letter, except in
the last half of the last sentence. Even
in that, he merely quotes a statement
that he says himself l never made. l
do not contradict that at all. In fact
/ will go even further, and say that
there are at least million other state
ments that / never made. Just how a
statement | never made could be chal-
lenged, l fail to understand.
Every statement in Mr.. Pilgeram's
letter is erroneous even to the number
of students in Montana. He lays much
stress on the number of children be-
tween the ages and 81 that he re-
peats it times in his letter.
Both Justice Bottomley and myself
were talking about all students of all
ages from l to 100. in all elementary
schools, high schools, colleges. and
other places of learning. and not just
school children alone. All of which just
goes to show that Mr.. Pilgeram may
not have been too wrong after all, when
he says he was so confused as he did
not comprehend what | was talking
about, nor what he was talking about
either At any rate he seemed to be
talking about the number of children in
Montana now, while 1 was talking
ibout the average number of students
Turing the next so years In other
words, he entered a friendly discus
lion without knowing what was being
discussed. Sort of like the cowboy that
uttered a saloon while a fight was in
progress, and started swinging Just to
,e in the swim.
/ must confess that / am at COM
'lete loss as to what there was in my
etter that offended Mr.. Pilgeram and
aused him to illuminate and explode
ii over the place, and indulge in de-
ogatory and offensive remarks. Just
few lines from the bottom of the page
n your issue of May End, my letter
eads, 1T will take at least so years
0 get all the production" Fright here
think the Editor will bear out my
tatement that the linotype operator
eft out line.) 1t said in part, IF we
ssume the average number of school
tudents to be-" etc. meaning of course
he average number during the so
ears. Further on | stated. ION the
asis of the above figures, If Montana
ad approximately 275,000 pupils" etc.
9th statements were obviously as
lmptions and not statements of fact.
According to the Census Bureau the
opulation has been increasing at the
tie of DoL Now
ears is 100 o. | assumed that the pres
1T population of all students of all
ges in all schools and colleges in Mon
ma to be 100000. A go annual in
ease for so years would probably av-
age out at about 275,000.
Now [ never thought [ was fooling
lybody The only person who may
I've been fooled was Mr.. Pilgeram,
I'd he simply fooled himself because of
s confusion, ignorance of the sub
ct, and failure to carefully read and
mprehend my letter.
1t may surprise him to learn, that
s dead easy for a fact assembling
TT stiff to take 275O00 cubic yards
dirt out of an 146,760 cubic yard
lie. All that is necessary is to select
hole that is expanding at the rate
20 per year and start shoveling.
the end of so years the dirt will all
out of the hole, with enough hole
~ ii'"hO " hol d iliillOH post nOleS
sides.
Mr. P1lgeram seems to have a very
or opinion of myself as an engineer.
gree with him 1902 on that because
10 myself, even if did build the first
miles of the main canal of the first
)ject ever completed by the Reclama-
n Service, and the first project ever
ltracted by the State Water Board.
e. j. PARKINSON,
Consulting Irrigation Engineer.
Great Falls