Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-01-11
NEEDED LEGISLATION ON JURY DUTY

Any legislator who desires to make himself popular
especially with the business men, can succeed by Setlng
through the legislature a bill changing The present method
OF Jury duty. While the necessity Of public service OF ths
kind is realized, the hardships that are caused under the sys-
TEN now in vogue makes this service a sacrifice that should
not be asked OF any citizen.
One is constantly hearing Of the hardships different
people have been called up to endure simply because of
~urv duty. Business has been ruined for some men ana,
perhaps. lives have been blasted because OF the setback
caused by being summoned to jury duty just when a grow
ing business needs most attention.
The other dav we heard the story Of a young contractor,
an ex-service man, who had returned from the war and
started to build up a contracting business in a small way. lie
was taking small Jobs and was doing so well that he had en-
gagged a helper. BY careful figuring and close attention to his
wark he was making good and the future was bright wheh
suddenly he was drawn for service on the pe't jury u We"
Brunswick.
For three months, on and off, this young man was
comnelled to go to New Brunswick day after day, some
times doing nothing but sitting in the court room listening
10 LAWYERS wrangle over some petty case utterly Obvious OIL
lime or of other peoples affairs. Naturally, what jobs the
oun man had were neglected; his customers became dis
aruntIed and hired someone else; his business went TO
pieces and his hopes were blasted-all because ne was
compelled to do his duty as a Juryman.
We heard of a business man who conducted a store
CITY who was summoned to serve on the petit jury. In
day a, days it is hard enough to keep a store going with the
r y vt application to its affairs, but when day after day ior
iHree months TIE proprietor is compelled to spend most Oh
his time in New Brunswick, leaving the store IN the hands Oh
GuOtnef. II InuS HIS udlI CpoIhhiS hiNoHS' VIZ" Wv"
falling off. Even by spending much OF the night trying TO
4I,cep things in shape, much of the trade was lost due TO
his inability to give it his personal attention during the
LAY.
We could go on enumerating such cases, but 1T is not
necessary: everyone realizes the hardships OF The present
uy service. 1t is time there was a change. We understand
hat a change can be brought about only through legislation
Three months is entirely too long to tie a man down
Tor service on a jury. 1t might have been all right in former
DAYS before the population became so large and there was
not so much work for the courts to do, but today with the
crowded court calendars it is asking too much. No man
should be made to suffer- such great personal losses in per-
forming his civic duties.
If this matter is properly presented to the legislature
The reasonabeness of the request will be seen and a Dill
giving relief ought to pass. There are enough people, espe-
cially now that women are included as jurors, to make a
week long enough for anyone to be asked to attend court
unless the case in which one may be serving as a juror lasts
longer than a week, which is seldom.
BY all means, have a bill introduced at once TO remedy
the present evil so that the business man, and the laborer as
well. will have Il chance. Even the laborer who Is summoned
for iurv duty loses much time and it sometimes costs nm
his Job to be away 50 much for SO long a time. THIS is an
abuse that ought to be remedied. There is no time like The
present TO do it.