Amish Gratitude

To the plain-garbed, plain-spoken Mennonites and Amishmen of Pennsylvania, the New Deal has meant a far from abundant life. Because the Amish churches frown upon written contracts, loans, gifts and joining secular organizations, the "plain people" declined to sign contracts with the AAA, or accept its benefits, although they were willing to reduce acre: age where the law required. Mennonites in industry pay Social Security taxes, but declare they will not accept Social Security pensions. Nor will they join labor unions, although they meekly allow union dues to be "checked off" their wages.

Last year Amishmen and Mennonites of East Lampeter Township, Pa. petitioned the Government not to grant $56,200 of PWA money to their school board for a consolidated school. Their petition failing and the school completed, the Mennonites were about to defy the law and keep their children at home last month, when Pennsylvania's liberal Governor George Howard Earle came to the rescue. He ordered that they be permitted to put their children in rural one-room schools as they had been accustomed to. In gratitude last week 500 Mennonites and Amishmen of East Lampeter voted to give Governor Earle a turkey, a jug of cider, a pumpkin and some corn, every Christmas as long as he lives.

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