GOOD MEN AND TRUE?

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 305, 19 May 1911, Page 4

GOOD MEN AND TRUE?

Once upon .a time we mentioned the fact tlint volunteers were exempt from service on juries. Knowing how very touchy volunteers were, we still took the liberty of assuming that the exemption was made on the ground that if the enemy called when volunteers were engaged at court, the country would suffer. A number of volunteers waited on us. and were angry with us indeed. They swelled their chests and pointed out that as they gave up their sweet young lives to the defence of their country on the occasional drill ground and the weekly rifle range they were doing their whole duty to their country. It was patent that these gentlemen valued their services very highly, and had not up to that time seen that they were indebted to the country more than the country was indebted to them for being deemed worthy to bear arms. Under the new territorial scheme citizen soldiers are evidently going to show that their service is an honor to the country, and not that they are honored in being permitted to serve. At Christchurch a judgo has lamented in exempting a citizen soldier that "the best jurymen" are not. available, and added that there would not be enough jurymen to serve if these exemptions are not done away with. If the citizen soldier persists in regarding his service as martyrdom, he is going to be the poorest kind of soldier; and if he shies at the duty of serving on a jury which may be (riven him once in a year or two, the citizen part of him isn't worth writing poetry about. If everyone is going to be a soldier there can be no juries. Consequently some bright M.l\ has a first-class chance of distinguishing himself by fighting hard for the inclusion on juries of every citizen soldier over the age of 21. ' If the Japs come while two Territorials are serving on juries, the remainder may be able to carry on until the court rises. If a little mild soldiering is the whole duty of man —why work? If the exemption is upheld. juries will probably disappear. The jury idea is very dear to the people. ■There have been keen fights about it, anil its justice cannot he questioned, lint the jury at the coroner's inquest has virtually disappeared, probably because there was never the slightest difficulty in empanelling one, at least in centres of population. The same old jury sininly followed the corpse, and waited in wrapt expectancy for the summoning constaole. If "a volunteer is -worth ten pressed men," citizen officers whose hearts are bleeding for their country might preface parade 9 by asking "Who'll volunteer for jury service " It would he interesting to sec a whole battalion (barring infants miller 21) fighting for the honor.