Mennonites Have Problems With Road Protection Law In Iowa County

Today's WCF Courier reports on the problem posed for the Groffdale Conference Mennonite Community by Mitchell County, Iowa's Ordinance No. 41 that bans steel wheels on the county's hard surfaced roads. This group of Mennonites use modern tractors, but as a religious matter they replace inflated rubber tires with metal rims surrounded by a thick rubber belt containing metal bars to provide traction. They fear conventional tires would make trips to town too convenient. Thirteen year old Matthew Zimmerman is due in court this Friday on charges of violating Ordinance No. 41. He was cited for driving a 19,000 pound steel-wheel tractor pulling a home-made 2-wheel cart on a county road on his way to pick up four bales of wood shavings for his family's farm. County officials say steel wheels damage highways. However neighboring Howard County rejected a similar ordinance after Mennonites deposited $25,000 in a trust to cover any future highway damage. (See prior related posting.) Apparently steel wheels are harder on cement roads like many in Mitchell County, than on asphalt roads that predominate in Howard County. Mitchell County suspended the ordinance for 60 days last fall during the harvest season.