SEEKING A HAVEN.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 299, 1 August 1929, Page 2

SEEKING A HAVEN.

A UTOPIA IN THE WILDS. The Mennonita Colony. In a peaceful spot in the wilds of the Gran Chaco, where differences between Paraguay and Bolivia focused world attention a few weeks ago, the Mennonites, who came to South America to escape wars and other worldly ills, are struggling to build their Utopia.

The Mennoite colony, made up of 14 villages of 100 persons each, was established in the Chaca Boreal two years ago. Its charter from the Para- | guayan Government, accorded local | autonomy, and the Mennoite system of i town meetings is about as near to pure democracy as anything in modern government. , Each village in the colony has ita schultz, or head man, who performs the function of mayor or general advisor for the community. Local affairs ma} be decided by a meeting of all the community—the Mennonites are very fpnd of meetings—or by a meeting of several communities together, or between all the schultzen of the colony. As the highest financial authority, there is the Fuersorge, a committee whidh attends to all the Mennonites’ business affairs and represents them before the Paraguayan Government. Fuersorge Manages Finances There are no police, sheriffs or civil courts in the ordinary sense of the word. The Mennonites consider them superfluous. Community of religious I feeling is so strong that the action of a local town or church meeting is as powerful as the mandate of a court I would be * Some of the colonists speak Dng''sh, I which they learned in Canada. Some I are picking up Spanish. But the daiiy 1 talk is carried on in German. I Free from obligation to bear arms. | the Mennonites were never worried by i the threat of Paragimyan-Bolivia.i troubles, even when Paraguay ordered a general mobilisation. , There were 1743 colonists in all wh.»n they came to the Chaco. Of these, —OO have returned to Canada. Land Parcelled Out.

Land adjoining the towns was oarcelled out for farming by lot. It had *o be cleared of scrub timber. The Lab our of 300 friendly Indians who live in the neighbourhood was used in his work. Temperature runs from freezing in mid-winter to 105 degrees during the hottest summer days. Cotton corn an 1 other crops grown in the southern United Srates, can be raised, but the Mennonites. accustomed to Manitoba and Saskatchewan wheat and ats, are having to experiment before they know what products will be most profitable.