Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-12-16
Women Jurors.

The selection of jury composed
exclusively of women to try a civil
case arising in Olympia before the
Justice court has been the cause of
considerable comment and discussion
in this community. during the pres
ent week, especially among the fair
sex. In the same connection, the
agitation brought out the phase that
rhurston county pays about six
thousand dollars annually for jury
service in the Superior Court, out of
its current expense fund, which is
plum of too great value to pass by
without consideration. In view of
the fact that each juror summoned
before such court receives for jury
service three dollars per day and
mileage, amounting to the sum of
about sixty dollars, paid per individ-
ual at each jury session. there are
many women in our community who
think favorably of the opportunity
to get little pin-money in this man.
ner. fail to see why they should be
overlooked in the distribution of
plums at the public pie-counter.
They have also learned that at these
jury sessions, lasting three or four
weeks, many of the jurors in attend
ance are kept in waiting and are not
called upon to serve in the jury-bOx
more than one-half of the time, or
are excused from service in the trial
of particular causes, while their pay
goes on just the same. A few OF our
ladies, prominent in the local suf-
frage movement, have intimated
that they would not if summoned to
serve as jurors be satisfied like men
when off duty. to lounge about the
court room without taking their
needle work with them. and putting
in their time to their own personal
advantage, or that of their church or
society. 1t has been anticipated
that it will be argued, principally by
men who dislike to sec women act in
this or any public capacity. that
there will be trials the details Of
which will be unfit for women to
hear. Their presence may aid in
making the details less disgusting.
Men who are disposed to violate the
moral code involving criminal liabil-
ity, may pause in their svil doing
when they realize their Sransgres-
sions may be acted upon by women
jurors.
Again. lawyers in such cases will
be more circumspect about inquiring
too far ITO foul details from witness
es while on the stand. Moreover,
cases of this kind are comparatively
of rare occurrence, if we take Thurs
ton county as an example. trials
which pass off without containing a
single case on the court docket
in which the evidence might have
been with propriety detailed before
a jury of women. No rule should be
tested by an extreme case. Like the
man in the British Parliament over
one hundred years ago, who remarked
he thought riding in steam railway
cars might make people dizzy, the
STANDARD thinks the average man in
Thurston county will not get dizzy
because some of the fair ones may
wish to get hold of 4 trifle of the
public money at first hand, before
the same shall have passed through
too many channels before reaching
their palms.
TARIFF PRICEs.-JOseph Fels, an
English manufacturer and humani-
tartan. now on q visit to this cOun-
try. draws this comparison between
certain articles OF necessity here and
in his country: The suit of clothes
am wearing" said he, in Eng.
land cost, tailor made, $40; you could
not buy it here for less than $35.
The cost of living in England is just
about Is per cent. of what it is in
this country; that's conservative.
The ratio is preserved when you
compare English and American
prices of meat, shoes, neck-ties and
, matches. and almost everything else
; used in human consumption"