Henderson daily dispatch., 1946-08-21
Amendments To N. C..
Constitution To Be
Voted In November
BY LYNN INSECT.
daily Dispatch BurcauD

Raleigh. Aug. 2l.-AS the Novcm-
Der election approaches citizens o.
North Carolina are beginning to think
about proposed amendments 20 the
constitution. C'c amendment will
establish equal rights for men and
women as to liability for Jury scrv-
ice and may have lar reaching in
fiucncc on ether laws rcSpc ting ia
vored positions of wCmi. in indus
try. Another would allow members
OF the general assembly ten dollars
day for expenses for every session
OF the general assembly not exceed
ing sixty days.
WOMEN - The yO-callCd woman
jury amendment changes the wCrd-
ing 81 six section OF Article one.
Most of the changes simply substi-
tu'c the words person" or per
sons" for man or men" wherever
they occur. and one new sentence
Is added TO Sec. 10 reading: No per-
son shall be excluded from Jury scrv-
ice on account Of sex" II doc:,.'t
say women shall be required 10 serve
on juries, but changes in the statutes
are expected to follow adoption o.
the amendment imposing the same
rules upon women rs now apply to
male citizens. But there arc other
applications th;n those Of jury
service.
EQUALITY - The first section Of
the declaration If rights IN the pres
cnt constitution is SuD-:itlcd The
equality and rights of men. and i,
quotes the declaration of indcpcn-
dcnCc 10 say That we held these
truths TO nc sclf-cvidu!t that all men
are created equal: The pro-
posed new subtitle and text substi-
tuteS the word persons" for men. "
rms suggests 10 some good lawyers
that if the proposed amendments are
ADOPTED existing lows providing
shorter hours and requiring more
consideration for women industrial
workers may become constitutions
al. Statutory protection Of widows
Ill their husbands estates and other
laws favOring women aSC may be
Endangered, according 20 these same
legal authorities. The thing reach
cS far beyond marc right of women
tO sit in the courthouse Jury box.
DISCREPANCIES - II is also
pointed out that adnp.iu, of the
proposed amendments will occasion
Discrepancies and in Constituencies in
the constitution Itself. Although the
legislature p.nv.dCd Toy women Io
vote AFT y ratification Of the 10Th
amu' dmCnt to the federal cunSti;u-
| ton. the state constitution still reads
every male person" i'm setting out
qualifications for suffrage. Also the
| poll tax section applies only Ia every
male mhaOitant within specified acc
| limits: so does the lection applying
t. service in the state militia.
| REMOTE - Chances that these
questions will be raised is admit
tcdly remote. So. Tor that matter,
was the chance that statutory right
| OF women to serve an iuricS would
| be challenged. !; was CHALLENGED
in minor prohibition law case from
Pok county and the state supreme
court held that the word men" meant
male pcrSr:S. 1t is entirely with
IN the range Of probability that the
present or some future court might
hold that tho equality and rights
o: persons prcCludCS special Cunsid,
Grafton on account of ScX. Just as
courts have held il prccllldcs discrim-
nation because Of race.
EXPENSES 80 The ether amu'ri-
mcnt submitted by the last session
FL DIVIDES for payment Ia members al
inc general assembly of ten dollars
day in cOmmutatiun of expenses
Tor u period not exceeding sixty days
Iii any regular or special session.
Compensation Of Legislators has been
since 1928 six hundred dollars for
the term of office. which is two