The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1962-08-24
Minnesota Weekly Inks AT&T
By JACK ANDERSON, Cong Record August IL

the telephone ad dropped from the
next edition. He must have thought
better of this, for he showed up later
with a substitute ad and explained
that he had merely wanted to make
a change.
Cervenka also phoned Andy and
suggested that, if he were interested
in his newspaper, they had better have
talk. At this conformation, Ger
venka accused Andy of printing un-
true and libelous statements about
AT&T.
What particularly upset Ger
venka was the claim that AT&T
had overcharged its long-distance
users a billion dollars.
Andy's spitfire wife, Grace, later
supplied the source of this informa-
ton. 1t had been taken, she said, from
a House speech by Congressman
Emanuel Celler, New York Democrat.
Congressman Celler is not friend
of ours" replied Cervenka. 'Now
understand. The trouble is you read
the wrong things"
The Bell mans next step was to
check at the Minnesota Newspaper
Association for information on pos
sible hackers who might own an in
terest in Andy's paper. Somehow, he
came up with the name of Ernest
Madsen, and promptly made contact.
eve were curious to know whether
this financial hacker felt like the
Gibases did," Cervenka explained to
this column.
But it turned out that Madsen
owned no part Of the paper, that it
belonged totally to the Gibases. Ito
keep it solvent, Andy is obliged to
work by days as chemist while his
wife gathers the news.)
AT&T INVASION
Finally, AT&T launched it's in
vasion of Circle Pines, Cervenka
called upon Mayor Gerald Pehl, for
ner Mayor Carl Eek, town council
men, and other leaders. His assistants
Andy's friends and
leighbors.
Altogether, Cervenka insists they
aw no more than Is people. But re-
PORTS reaching Gibas indicate the
whole community must have been
One who didn't like Cervenka's
insinuations was the Reverend Har-
ris Jerperson, pastor of St. Marks
Lutheran Church in Circle Pines.
He told this column that Cervenka
went so far as to imply the Gibases
were pro-Communist in their atti-
tude.
eff you are insinuating the Gibases
re Communists and all that rot" the
aston lectured Cervenka, "you had
etter forget about it right now"
More easily influenced were Mil
red Huse and her son, Gordon, who
In one of the towns two leading
rocery stores, Gordon's Market.
hey stopped advertising in the Cir
llating Pines after Cervenka's visit.
Gordon Huse, who answers to the
ckname "Buz', assured this column
lat Cervenka hadn't suggested an
boycott.
I'VE didn't want to get involved,
we dropped our advertising" ex-
aimed Buz.
But Andy and Grace Gibas aren't
silly intimidated. They struck back
a front-page editorial.
The questioning of friends and
ighbors "gives us very uneasy
cling" they wrote. Something like
Russians must feel when they dis
yer the secret police are making
Iuiries ;"
But the real puzzler is this:
Why doesn't ART want the satel-
tie giveaway talked about? Why is
afraid of criticism?"
)ITOR'S NOTE: The Circle Pines
incident once again bears out the
wisdom of the founders of THE
when, almost a quarter
century ago, they wrote a specific
into the publications
bylaws forbidding acceptance of
commercial advertising.
4fY4<x<N H.