EXEMPTION ASKED FOR.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 45, 22 February 1929, Page 11

EXEMPTION ASKED FOR.

COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS ON JURIES. MINISTER FAVOURABLE. CBj Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) 1 WELLINGTON, this day. Recently a deputation from the United Commercial Travellers and Warehousemen's Association of New Zealand waited upon the Minister of Justice, the Hon. T. M v Wilford, to ask for the exemption of bona fide commercial travellers from service on juries. It was pointed out that great inconvenience and loss were, caused by commercial travellers being, recalled from various parts of New Zealand in the middle of business transactions to serve on juries.

The Minister asked the association "what.wa# Its definition of a "bona fide commercial traveller." Mr. W. E. Herrick (general secretary of the association) replied that a "bona fide commercial traveller is a traveller engaged in doing wholesale business, that is (a) selling to the trade for some person, firm or company, or (b) buying for some person, firm or company carrying on a ■wholesale business, and who has been «o engaged for a period of at least six consecutive calendar months, which period shall have been spent in the Commonwealth of Australia" or in New Zealand."

The Minister said he was prepared to propose when the Juries Act came up for review that the exemption suggested should be made, but the association would have to understand that the Amendments proposed in that Act must bp considered and approved by Cabinet before any definite assurance coidd be Riven them. In the meantime, however, fce, as Minister of Justice, favourably considered the application.