Evening star., 1937-03-26
RELIGIOUS GROUP
SHUNSP. W.A.L0AN
Pennsy|vanians Visit Court
to Protest Township
Debt for School.

Four spokesmen for simple folk
who neither borrow nor accept gifts
have come to Washington to push
their demand that the Government
loan them no money.
They are Amish, Mennonite and
Church of Brethren residents of East
Lampeter Township, Lancaster County,
Pa, where there are no relief rolls
and every man owns his farm free
from debt. Nor does the township
owe penny, and goodly part of its
people are determined that there shall
be no change in its happy state.
CARRIED in the somber clothes of
their religious faiths, they came to
the District Court yesterday afternoon
to witness the taking Of depositions
for use in their suit in the Federal
District Court at Philadelphia. They
are seeking to enjoin their township
School Board from using $4,000
ALLEGATION Of Public Works funds for
construction Of a consolidated ele-
mentary school to replace 10 one-room
red schoolhouses.
Present unusual Sight.
The little band Of Pennsylvanians
presented an unusual sight as they
marched into the court house. Each
member was dressed in black. Around
the faces of the Anishmen were
fringes of beard, and their hair was
long. Their features reflected the
serenity of their lives and on their
calloused hands was written the rec
ord of their daily toll.
We are plain people," said Jona-
than zook, who is of the Amish
faith.
we live without debts or luxuries,
tending our farms. We do not want
to incur any debts. Also we do not
want our children put in a consoli-
dated school. They would have to
ride from their homes to school in a
bus and that would be bad for them.
It is much better now, when they can
walk to school. They use their legs
and grow up active and strong"
zook explained that his people also
are afraid for their children to be
housed in structures of more than one
story. Only recently, he said, a $780,
600 school house in an adjoining coun-
ty was destroyed by fire.
And the only reason the children
were not burned to death was because
the fire happened in the night time" 4"
added H. B. Dussinger, a Mennonite.
The other members of the delegation
were Amos S. Fisher, an Amishman,
and Adam E. Myer of the Church of
Brethren. All three faiths are kin,
and sprang from the original Men
nonite colony which was founded in
Switzerland 800 years ago.. They live
together in harmony, but keep apart
from their neighbors Of other beliefs.
Clothes Have No Buttons.
The Anish women make their mems
clothes, which are without buttons,
being fastened by hooks and eyes. The
cloth is a course, black fabric, which
is fashioned into jackets and trousers
of severe, straight lines. Hats of the
Amishmen are broad brimmed affairs
of black felt with low, round crowns.
John N. Landberg of Philadelphia,
their attorney. said there is not a pas
senger automobile in the community,
although they use trucks to transport
their farm produce.
Dispositions taken here included
records of the application of the East
Lampeter School Board for the P. W.
A. loan and grant. Landberg said the
township would have to add $4,000 to
the $56,000 OF Federal funds in order
to complete the proposed $125,0oo con-
solidated school. More than $31, 900
already has been received from P. w.
A. and work on the structure has
begun.
OF the 1900 taxpayers in the town.
ship, 1,154 have signed petition op-
posing the project, Landberg said. He
explained the induction suit was in
stituted In the names Of members Of
the Citizens Committee, and that 1t
seeks to hold the five school board
members liable for work already done
on the new school.
The delegation planned to return