Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] FRIDAY, MAY 26, 1893.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4428, 26 May 1893, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] FRIDAY, MAY 26, 1893.

SECOND KDITIUN

Women in New Zealand ale to become emancipated, and Indies in the future ; are to wear the" breeka." All rights possessed by llie Lords of Creation are to lie shared with the gentler sex, the latter at the samo time retaining and conserving iis own special prerogatives, Women desire political power, and in doing so pre, no doubt, quite prepared to undertake tko responsibilitiesappertjiiniDg to it. These, we presume, are the sentiments of the ladies, recently occupied In this town ; in the heroio work of collecting signatures in favour ot the female franchise. When that vantage ground is once gained, every position that wc • man can desire to fill will bo at her disposal, and there are, wo feel sure, certain duties hitherto discharged by reluctant males that may be more fitly relegated to the willing hands of the other sex. Take jury duty as jp example; does not the average man fight sjiy of serving his country as a juryman, doc he not invent all sorts of pretext antj ex« cuses when called upon to act j is he not almost dragged sullenly and wrathfully to the jury box, taking the oath with a muttered imprecation 1 But when women come to the front, how differently will they .behavo ? Instead of shining duty wh'fen an interesting case ip coming op, thpy will probably petition the Sheriff to pick them. The mixed jury of the future will be one consisting of jurymen and jurywomenj one lawyer will be challenging male members and atic'her femalo members, and the re« siduum will be " composite body. There will be 110 shrinking from service on the psrt of the jury woraefl, .«nd such of them as may ho challenged off it, will retire from the Court jyitb tears in their eyes, while the sisters who are chosen, will enter the box with alacrity, and will grudge no sacrifice of time and household duty. What if that unfortunate mat), the juryjyopipp'a husband, misses bis dinner, end even RQmpjhqme to a cold tea, what if he goes to hi? vork bpttonless, has not thereal boss undertaken higher and rnoro exalted duties. Is it not her mission to convict the guilty and to defend the innocent. Perhaps she may he even called upon to act as forewoman to the Court, and before her eye the judge himself will quail, wjll permit knitting and orochet mk if) tb® jury box, and when the jury retire with a flutter, allow afternoon tea to bo supplied pi fibflum while the verdict and titopound cake ate disussed. -Then the counsel, who like to catch the eye of the jury, how easy will be their task, for how oan they look in any other direction butjthat of the ladjea of (be jury. Cross I

examinations too will be abolished as indecorous in ibe presence of ladies of the jury, and counsel will not then an they sometimes do now, let their little passions vise as they, worry over legal bones. The smiling, well behaved, nicely wigged, neat gowned barris'er will then carry the day and why should he not do sol Occasionally there might be a slight hitch, ns for example when at an inquest, jurywomen were assembled to view abody, but even llien, the flashing of a few scent bottles, the flatter of handierchiefs and a few tear showers would not very much impede the administration of justice, and even if a ju~ynomen fainted « short adjournment would enable the other ladies in the panel to bring her to. As a Justice of the Peace woman would of course be admirable, the drunken loafer brought before lier would get a reprimand that would be worth listening to, and ibe man with a wife and family who spent his earnings in dissipation, would no longer escape with a caution, Even as J usticca of the Peace men fail to come up to time, aid Lave tobealmosi compelled to sit and adjudicate, . All this sort of thing will be remediec 5 when women acquire the new piivi r leges which they are & ckin®, privi--9 leges which have ceased to possess t ' value in the eyes of the Lords of Cm tion, arid are ready to he Imnded ovei to the gentle enthusiasm ivho an willing lo runNotv Zealand.