Evening star., 1926-04-26
EFFORTS TO KILL
Jury BILL FAIL
House Refuses to Strike Out
Enactment Clause in
-, r~3 t-...
Woman's Measure.
Efforts of opponents of the bill pro-

Efforts of opponents of the bill pro-
vidng for jury service by women in
the District of Columbia to kill that
measure by scratching out the enact
ing clause failed this afternoon.
BY vote OF 191 to 1873. with one re
porting present, the House defeated
the motion to strike out the enactment
clause.
BY motion of Representative Zihl-
man of Maryland. chairman of the
District committee. the House again
resolved itself into a committee of
The whole to consider District busi-
ness. Mr.. Zihlnnan Immediately
moved to take up the woman's jurors
bill. and Representative Underhill of
Massachusetts, renewed his motion to
strike out the enacting clause. Rep
resentative LaGuardia of New York
made a point Of order that the motion
was dilatory. since the House had
just voted down a similar motion.
The bill was the first measure TO
come before the House this afternoon
when that body resolved itself into
committee of the whole to consider
District business.
Although general debate on this bin
had been concluded at the last District
day in the House, Representative
Blanton, Democrat. of Texas, Job
tained unanimous consent for 90 min.
utes' debate on a motion by Repre-
sentative t'nderhill Republican. of
Mas chusetts. to strike out the enact
ing clause, the time to be evenly
divided
In support of his motion to strike
out the enactinG clause, Mr.. Under
hill declared that only small minor
ity of women in the District favored
this bill. The Women's Bar Associa-
ton favors it. but every member of
that association would be exempt
from jury service.
Would Sit for Weeks.
There is no man in the House,
believe" Mr.. Underhill said. ''who
would be willing to have his wife
serve on a jury in a murder trial and
to have her sit for from three to six
weeks in such trial and then per
haps have her locked up with the
jury overnight. / ask you if you are
willing to place on other women in
the District such Il duty?"
Representative Gilbert of Kentucky
wanted to know if colored people
served on juries in the District
Mr.. Blanton said that. of course,
they did that one witness had tes-
of the insane that three colOred men
had served on Jury which committed
him and that one was asleep all the
time.
Representative Mcleod of Michigan
defended the bill. declaring that 1t
was in line with legislation in a num-
Der OF other States, including Arkan-
sas. Indiana, Iowa. Kentucky. Ohio.
Michigan and Pennsylvania. He said
he did not know if they had such leg
isIation in Texas. but added that at
there.
Representative Hudspeth inter
jected:
We have no such law in Texas.
thank God; and hope we never will.
Representative Connally asked if
there was anything in the bill which
would authorize merely those women
to sit as jurors who wished to.
Didn't we offer an amendment to
exempt married women and girls
under 25?" asked Mr.. Blanton
Mr.. Mcleod replied that the COM
mittee had acted favorably on the
bill, with the understanding that the
Judge would excuse married women
from jury duty if they presented ade-
ouate reasons.
Mr.. Mcleod insisted that the States
where women serve on juries were
well satisfied with the law. Mr.. Blan-
ton pointed out that Mrs. Rogers.
member of the House from Massa-
chusetts. had voted against the bill
the last time it was up, and he in
sisted that the women of Washington
are against it.
No Protest Made.
Representative Zihlman pointed out
that not a single protest against the
legislation had been made to the com.
mittee which considered the bill. He
said that he believed the people of
Washington favored it. and that the
Citizens Council has given it unquali-
fed Endorsement.
On rising vote the motion to strike
out the enacting clause was adopted.
Al to 90. Mr.. Zihlman demanded tell
ers and on a vote OF So to 81 the COM
mittee of the whole again voted TO
strike out the enacting clause.
Mr.. Blanton then moved that the
committee report the bin to the House
with the enacting clause stricken out.
This procedure was followed. On a
rising vote, So to 81, the House re-
fused to strike out the enacting
clause. Mr.. Blanton asked tellers,
but Representative Lehlbach of New
Jersey made the point of no quorum.
which necessitated record vote in
the Honse on the proposal