hm Declared Determined To Attack f orasa Despite lnJar Threat
London (U.R) Chinese
The sources said he was "to
last Friday Britain's charge de'-
which Nationalist Chin
M cation Chou Is ready to change
or informal commitment on a
cease fire. In the light of this
attitude, Indian Premier Jawa
harlal Nehru was said to be bid
ing his time In trying to per
suade Peiping to compromise.
Despite the bleak outlook,
Eden remains determined to
start a new diplomatic drive with
India sounding out the Chinese,
the sources said. They warned
it will require time, patience and
a great deal of restraint.
The Foreign Office firmly dis
missed suggestions that it was
"worried" at the policy state
ment Tuesday of Secretary of
State John Foster Dulles.
It declined official comment
on the statement and its refer
ences to Formosa which came
at almost the same time Eden
asked for the evacuation of Que
moy and Matsu.
Diplomatic observers said a
close scrutiny of the two seem
ingly opposed statements show
ed the gap between American
and British policy has narrowed
considerably, with both agreed
that a peaceful settlement is nec
essary and both hopeful that a
cease fire might be attained.
Communist Premier Chou En
lai was pictured today by auth
oritative diplomatic sources as
totally unyielding on his deter
mination of attacking Formosa
despite the grave threat of war.
The outlook for a cease fire
was described as "bleak."
The diplomatic sources said
Chou coldly had turned down all
appeals for a negotiated Form
osa settlement and has rebuffed
third party mediation efforts by
Britain and Moscow as in
terference. tally uncompromising" and
"seemingly disinclined to nego
tiate at all."
This is "the grim story behind
the terse statements in the House
of Commons Tuesday by Foreign
Secretary Anthony Eden that the
necessary conditions do not yet
exist for solving the Formosa
conflict through a conference
or "other discussions."
Eden said he had maintained
contacts on this problem with
Moscow as well as with Peip
ing, and it was learned that only
affairs in Peiping, Humphrey
Trevelyan, conferred with Chou.
It was understood that visit dis-
The sources said the Commu
nists firmly declined any meet
ing on the Formosan crisis in
be represented. This '
the West's conditions
ference, and there v
"'s mood.
sources said Peiping is
prepared for any formal
V
Medford
JBUNE
sr.?
United Press Full Leased Wire
United Press Full -Leased Wire
49th Year 22 Pages
MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY
j5
Price 5c
No. 303
ia i r
K NATIONALIST All IASES I eft
COMMUNIST All IASES I J1A
NATIONALIST Alt IASES
COMMUNIST All IASO
SOUW CHK't Sit
1 c.
11 1 hA
china :
a fASTCHINfSU
TSINKIANG Wrj I
NATIONALIST CHINA SHRINKS Newsmap above shows
the shrinking island perimeter of Chiang Kai-she and his
Nationalist Government on Formosa. Since Jan. 1, 1955,
Chiang has lost the Tachen Islands and now Matsu and
Quemoy are threatened.
Commies, Nationals
Said Getting Ready
For Island Showdown
Washington (U.R) The Chi
nese Nationalists appear to be
getting ready for a showdown
in the Quemoy-Matsu islands
area, officials said today.
The United States apparently
haj not decided exactly what it
will do if the current buildup
on both sides results in a Chin
ese fight. The role of interven
tion or non-intervention will be
decided by President Eisen.
hower Moving Up Gunr
Experts report that Red
China in recent weeks has mov
ed more artillery of longer
range calibre to positions oppo
site the Nationalist-held Quemoy
and Matsu island groups. This
was the ominous techifique em
ployed on the ground by the
Reds in Indochina last year
when they got the upper hand
there.
The Communists alsq are
know to be concentrating troops
and supplies in nearby coastal
areas. Small naval craft releas
ed from duty following the Na
tionalist evacuation of the
Tachen Islands, farther north,
have appeared in waters near
the Quemoy and Matsu groups.
Chinese i Nationalist forces
likewise have been moved from
Formosa and the Tachen Islands
to the Quemoy-Matsu area.
United States ships and planes
are dispersed in the Formosa
area.
Pressure on Nationalists
The United States is putting
pressure on the Nationalists not
10 Puerto Ricans
Declared Guilty
' New York (U.R) A federal
court jury today found 10 Puer
to Rican Nationalists guilty of
conspiracy in connection with
the attempted assassination of
former President Truman and
an attack on representatives on
the floor of Congress.
The verdict ruled the Nation
alists were guilty of conspiring
to overthrow the government of
the United States by force and
violence.
They face a possible maxi
mum penalty of six years in
prison and a $5000 fine. Sen
tence was not immediately pro
nounced. The verdict was widely inter
preted as a death blow for the
Nationalist Party in Puerto
Rico.
Myrtle Creek Mill
Operation Scheduled
Myrtle Creek, Ore. (O.R) Op
tions on lease of the plywood
plant and sawmill of the Ump
qua Plywood Corporation's Myr
tle Creek operation have been
taken by a group of Myrtle
Creek, Roseburg and Portland
people who plan to operate the
mill as a cooperative.
The group yesterday filed ar
ticles of incorporation at Salem.
DOW-JONES AVERAGES
New York (U.R) Dow-Jones
final stock averages: 30 indus
trials 406.83, up 1.93; 20 rail
roads 149.82. up 1.55; 15 utili
ties 63.67, up 0.10, and 65 stocks
152.47, up 0.88. Sales today were
about 2,760,000 shares compared
with 4,590,000 shares yesterday.
fmYUSHAN
Ayikiang
TACtffN It
1
NATIONALIST
DEFENSE LINE
JAN. I. I9S5
NATIONALIST
DEFENSE LINE
TODAY
PACIfIC
OCEAN
to undertake any suicidal main
land invasion campaign.
India, Britain, and perhaps
the Soviet Union are similarly
putting pressure on the Chinese
Reds to avoid any military ac
tion that could spark a fight in
the Matsu-Quemoy area.
The outcome of this two-way
pressure campaign is in doubt.
Some . high officials believe a
tacit ceasefire already exists in
the Formosa Strait. Others be
lieve that the absence of any
major action now is only the
calm before the storm of a large
scale Red attack on the offshore
islands.
The scale of any Red offen
sive action will be an important
factor in U.S. action.
Two Men Sentenced
To Terms in Prison
Two men have been sentenced
to terms in Oregon State prison
on parole violation charges, and
a third man, wanted here on a
bad check charge, has been ar
rested in Eureka, Calif., accord
ing to Sheriff Howard Gault.
The two men who were sen
tenced in circuit court to prison
terms were Roland Charles
White, 19, Box 254, Jacksonville,
and Lawrence Daniel Scroggins,
210 Bliss St., Medford.
Arrested in Eureka was Wal
ter E. Keller, 28, Kootenai, Ida.,
wanted here on a charge of
obtaining money under false pre
tenses. Keller has been sentenced
to a term in the Humboldt coun
ty jail, and will not be available
for possible extradition until
Oct. 7, Gault said.
Couny Budget Deadline
For Departments Set
March 14 is the deadline for
submission of county depart
mental budget estimates for the
coming fiscal year, it was an
nounced today.
County budget meetings ten
tatively have been set for March
23, April 5, and April 12. Mem
bers of the county budget com
mittee are Arnold Bohnert, Tom
Wray, and Roger Rath.
Revamping of State
Constitution Halted
Salem U.R) A move for a
constitutional convention to re
vamp Oregon's constitution com
pletely and at one time came to
a halt today after the Senate re
jected the proposal 22 to 8.
Military Pay Raise
Gets House Approval
Washington U.R) The House
approved and sent to the Senate
today a $745,845,015 pay raise
for 2,000,000 servicemen.
Washington (U.R) The Sen
ate Government Operations Com
mittee has approved the long
stalled nomination of Joseph E.
Campbell to be comptroller gen
eral. The committee vote was 7
to 3.
Salem (U.R) Gov. Paul I.
Patterson has announced the re
appointment of Austin Dunn of
Baker as a member of the State
Board of the Department of
Geology and Mineral Industries.
WINCHO PCNSHAN II
Water Supply Seen
Far Below Normal
In Southern Oregon
Forecast Cites Low
Winter Precipitation
The water supply outlook in
southwestern Oregon is far be
low normal, it was reported to
day. Summer irrigation season
water shortages can be antici
pated because of lack of precipi
tation this winter.
This forecast was made this
morning by R, D. Church, of
the Medford weather bureau,
and W. T. (Jack) Frost, of the
soil conservation service in
Portland, following compilation
of snow survey and streamflow
reports from throughout the
area. ,
Storms Below Normal
February storms brought only
one-third of the precipitation
considered average over the 10
year period of 1943 to 1952. This
left the mountain snowpack fur
ther below average than at the
same time last month. The report
said March and April storms
would have to be three to four
times normal to bring the situa
tion up to normal.
Although the Rogue Basin over-all
snowpack averages 72 per
cent normal, the snow cover
is- below this figure on the Up
per Rogue and in the Little
Butte creek-Bear Creek water
sheds. Only in the Illinois wa
tershed is snow anywhere near
normal.
The water situation is made
more acute because of the rela
tively dry soils under the snow
as indicated by fall precipita
tion of only 40 per cent of nor
mal. Snow surveyors in many
areas have reported dusf "under
the snow instead of the usual
damp or wet soil.
Some Holdover Water
Reservoirs fortunately have
some holdover water from last
season, but water inflow has
been negligible during the win
ter, and expected spring and
summer inflow will be far be
low average.
Fourmile lake, with 9,253
acre feet in storage compared
with 15,900 a year ago, can ex
pect an inflow of only 5,000
acre feet in the six-month per
iod April through September.
Fish lake already has 5,516 acre
feet in storage, and the flow
of the north fork of Little Butte
creek is forecast at 10,200 acre
feet for the irrigation season, or
62 per cent of average.
Hiatt lake stores water for
the Talent Irrigation district,
and now holds 9,900 acre feet,
compared with 13,100 a year
ago. Inflow to this reservoir is
estimated at only 3,100 acre feet
for the irrigation season. Em
igrant lake held only slightly
more than 2,000 acre feet on
March 1, but will increase some
what with future snow melt and
the spring rainstorms. However,
snow cover on Wagner Butte
is only half that of a year ago,
and is less than half at Hiatt
lake.
Flow on Rogue
Spring and summer flow of
the Rogue above Prospect is
forecast at 267,000 acre feet, or
78 per cent of the 1943-52 av
erage. The flow at. Grants Pass
is forecast at 720,000 acre feet,
and chances are reasonably good
that low flow will not fall be
low 870,000 cubic feet per sec
ond when alternation "B" be
gins on canals of the Grants
Pass Irrigation district.
Applegate river near Copper
is forecast to discharge 113,000
acre feet, or 93 per cent of av
erage April through September.
The Illinois river at Kerby
should discharge 180,000 acre
feet or 99 per cent of average.
Crescent Boy Killed
When Struck by Auto
Bend '(U.R) Eight-year-old
James Sparks of Crescent died
at St. Charles hospital here last
night of injuries suffered yes
terday when he was struck by
an automobile shortly after he
stepped from a school bus.
Weather
FORECAST: Considerable '
cloudiness with a few show
ers tonight and Friday. A lit
tle cooler Fridav. Low tonight
38. High Friday 48.
Temp.
Highest Yesterdav 56
Lowest this- Morning 37
PJIPJM
mi
MecTco Crew Assists
Stranded Couple
Dr. and Mrs. William E.
White of the Veterans Admin
istration domiciliary. Camp
While, were a happy, relieved
couple last Monday morning
when a Medford corporation
construction crew arrived for
work on a lonely road in the
mountainous Butle Falls area.
Dr. While, ohysician at the
veterans home, and his wife
had been stranded 14 hours,
overnight, in biller cold. Their
car was stuck and out of gas
oline. The doctor, in expressing
publicly his thanks to the
Medco workmen, said that he
had turned up the road, which
he thought was another, while
on a piclure-taking expedition.
He reported that the car be
came stuck at just about sun
down Sunday and the road
crew did not arrive from Butte'
Falls until about 7:15 a.m.
Monday.
Mrs. White had a light coat
on. He had none and there
was no heat in the car when
it ran out of gasoline. The
Medco men got the couple into
the cab of a truck with a heat
er and gave them hot coffee
and hot chocolate from their
lunches, the doctor said. ,
Cincinnati in Path
ofRampagingOhio;
First Death Told
By UNITED PRESS
The Muddy Ohio river's flood
crest was to hit Cincinnati to
daj It had already claimed at
least one life and some river
front buildings were completely
under water.
The city's worst flood crest in
seven years was expected to
sweep down the swollen river at
a height of 61.2 feet.
The silt-laden waters stood at
61 feet at Cincinnati early to
day and were' rising at a rate
of a tenth of a foot every four
hours.
Many Evacuated
Upstream, the rampaging
Ohio had - forced evacuation of
3,823 persons in Ohio, West Vir
ginia and Kentucky. Water ran
through the business streets of
river towns and damage was esti
mated in the millions.
In the Cincinnati area alone,
the Red Cross was caring for
925 persons.
Basements were flooded and
water ran three feet deep on the
first floors of warehouses, tene
ment buildings and stores along
the waterfront.
Drowns In Elevator
It was in one of these flooded
warehouses that the flood claim
ed its first victim Wednesday.
Trenton Harton Jr., 27, lowered
a freight elevator to check the
water depth and drowned when
the car stuck. ,
'Indestructible Lady' Marks
I02nd Birthday Anniversary
Ashland Mrs. Sarah Blevins
Wing, Ashland's "indestructible
lady," is celebrating her 102nd
birthday today.
Born in the Tualatin valley
near Oregon City on March 10,
1853, to parents who were mem
bers of the famous Applegate
caravan to Oregon, Mrs. Wing
spent her early years in a log
cabin.
She still has vivid memories
of the early pioneering days of
Oregon which did not become
a . state until she was nearly 6
years old.
While still a young girl, she
moved with her family to Cali
fornia, and until 1901, when she
and her husband and children
moved back to Oregon, she lived
in California and Idaho. She has
lived in Ashland since. Her hus
band died in 1916, and she has
made her home with her daugh
ter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs.
J. H. McGee.
Still alert and keen, Mrs.
Wing keeps up with the events
of the day, and is in constant
contact with her church and
with neighbors. She has survived
many adventures and crises, in
cluding injuries she suffered in
an automobile accident and an
emergency appendectomy she
underwent recently. She was re
covered in leu than a week.
ftMa)7V'iu. lo)i
Surtax on Present
Income Tax Seen
To Fill State Gap
Proposal Would Be
Effective Two Years
Salem (U.R) Republicans
and Democrats on the House
Taxation Committee agreed ten
tatively today that the final gap
between money the state can
raise and the money it needs to
operate will be filled by a sur
tax on top of the present income
tax. The surtax would be effec
tive only two years, unless con
tinued by the next Legislature.
The committee estimated it
can raise some $17,500,000 in
new revenue with a half-dozen
new tax plans. Figuring a $55,
000,000 deficit, that would
leave $37,500,000 to be made up
with the surtax.
Pearson Objects
Rep. Walter Pearson (D-Port-land)
objected to the plan and
urged, instead, that his "univer
sal" income tax plan be adopted
because 80 per cent of the re
venue raised by that plan would
come from the federal govern
ment. Pearson's tax bill incor
porates Gov. Paul Patterson's
proposal for the federal income
tax offset.
Ren. Loran Stewart (R-Cut-
tage Grove), committee chair-'
man, promised Pearson his plan
would be considered.
Revised Earlier Plan
The committee revised its ear
lier plan of piecemeal tax in
creases to replace the proposed
increase on telephone bills with
a tax on tobacco, the so-called
Massachusetts plan. That would
bring in 7,000,000 new dollars
a biennium.
Another plan tentatively
adopted would require estimates
of anticipated income to be filed
by professional and business
people as they are on the federal
level.
Hearings on bills for repeal of
the skyscraper clause and util
ity exemptions will be held
Wednesday, March 16, at 1 p.m.
Two Planes Missing
In Salt Lake Region
Salt Lake City (U.R) Two
airplanes carrying nine men and
a boy were missing in the Salt
Lake City area today and search
craft took advantage of clearing
skies to look for the missing
planes. ,
A twin-engined Beechcraft be
lieved carrying an Illinois lum
ber broker, his nine-year-old son
and three associates had been
unreported since passing over
Ft. Bridger, Wyo., at 4:14 p.m.
(PST).
An Air Force B25, carrying
a crew of three and two passen
gers, dropped out of sight short
ly after passing over Salt Lake
City at 6:37 p.m. (PST).
MRS. SARAH BLEVINS WING
Starts 103rd Year Today
Her only living children are
Mrs.- McGee and Wallace Roy
Wing, Concord, Calif. She has
four grandsons and 13 great
grandchildren, and expects soon
to become a great-great-grandmother.
TAX. CUT cotsapROcai
g" m Mi iKKca . ':'
-- "' "! mILh Bllini irilli ' m
PORTLAND'S EMERGENCY CAR The disaster car used in
Portland since 1939 is shown above. It is similar to the type
of unit planned for Medford by members of the International
Association of Firefighters, whose local members today an
nounced a fund raising campaign seeking $20,000 for pur
chase of a bus to be equipped with all types of disaster and
emergency equipment. Firemen here would construct and op
erate the unit on a completely volunteer basis.
Disaster Car Planned
By Firemen; Campaign
Goal Set at $20,000
Plans for a drive to raise some
$20,000 for a disaster car unit
for the Medford area were an
nounced today.
The campaign is being spon
sored by the Medford local of
the International Association of
Fire Fighters, of which most
Medford firemen are members.
Spokesman for the organiza
tion, Fire Capt. Dale, Davis,
pointed out that while Jackson
county has been fortunate in the
past, there is always the possi
bility of a disaster at any time.
Some of the possibilities he list
ed were plane crashes, train or
bus wrecks, floods, explosions,
cave-ins, widespread fires, or
even bombings. The firemen
have long felt the need for a
unit of this type, he said.
Equipment Planned
The disaster unit would con
tain all types of rescue and
emergency equipment, such as
hand tools, portable light gener
ators and power equipment, re
suscitators, and other items. It
would be carried in compact
apartments in a large modern
bus. Estimated total cost is $20,
000. It is proposed to purchase an
inter-city bus from Evergreen
Bus lines, and convert it into
the disaster unit. Captain Davis
pointed out that a number of
other cities already have disas
ter units, including the Klamath
Falls suburban fire department,
which has made use of theirs
frequently, and Portland, which
has had one since 1939. The
Portland unit has been in con
stant use.
Also At Ambulance
The unit also could serve as
an auxiliary ambulance, al
though it would be used for such
a purpose only when other am
bulance services cannot handle
the needs, and call for assist
ance. It is planned to finance the
unit through donations, and
several cash gifts and offers of
equipment have already been
pledged by some individuals and
groups, Captain. Davis reported.
He said that donations from any
citizen, business, organization or
group would be welcome. Gifts
of cash, no matter how small,
are solicited, and can be mailed
to "Fire Fighters, care General
Delivery, Medford, Ore."
A board of trustees has been
organized to accept the dona
tions and administer the funds.
Robert J. Cunningham of the
U.S. National bank here is chair
man. An advisory board is being
organized, with Col. Charles A.
Eisenhower Reaffirms
Armed Troops in Europe
Washington (U.R) Presi
dent Eisenhower today affirmed
U.S. willingness to maintain
armed forces in Europe, includ
ing Germany, if the Paris agree
ments establishing the Western
European union are ratified ful
ly. The President restated U. S.
Dolicv on the rearmament of
Western Germany and other as
pects of the Paris agreements
in a special message to the
prime ministers of Belguim,
France. West Germany, Italy,
Luxembourg. The Netherlands
and the United Kingdom.
Stafford, director of civil de
fense for the county, as chair
man. .
On Off-Duty Time
The fire fighters organiza'
tion proposes to construct, main'
tain and operate the unit on
their off-duty time, on a full 24
hour, seven-day basis. They will
receive no compensation. The
unit will be centrally housed in
Medford.
- All members of the depart
ment are fully trained in first
aid.
Members of the Fire Fighters
association hope to be able to
organize auxiliary disaster crews
in fire departments, or other
groups, in each town in the coun
ty. These could assist with the
unit if and ;when it is called to
their area. '
France JGets Warning
On Rearmament Plan
Paris (U.R) British Prime
Minister Winston Churchill has
warned that someone else will
occupy France's chair in the
NATO alliance if France fails
to ratify German rearmament,
Foreign Minister Antoine Pinay
said today.
Pinay made the statement be
fore the Senate Foreign Affairs
Committee in discussion on the
Paris pacts to rearm Western
Germany. There was growing
hope the government could push
the pacts through the upper
house on schedule this month.
Informed sources 6aid Pinay
told the senators that Churchill
had issued his warning in a let
ter to former Premier Pierre
Mendes-France in January. The
letter said France must not leave
its "chair" empty in the alliance
or someone else would occupy
it."
Atomic Explosion
Scheduled Friday
Las Vegas -U.R) The Atom
ic Energy commission said today
it will detonate the fifth nuclear
blast of its 1955 spring tests to
morrow at 5:25 a.m. (PST).
The announcement came after
a morning weather evaluation
determined present wind and
cloud conditions would permit
the firing over Yucca Flat. The
AEC, added, however, another
evaluation would be made at
10:30 p.m.
The device planned for to
morrow will be touched off
from a 300-foot tower.
Aircraft will simulate attacks
and bombing runs during to
morrow's shot, the AEC said.
Butler's Statement on
Mamie's Health Attacked
Washington (U.R) Repub
lican leaders today denounced
Democratic National Chairman
Paul M. Butler for suggesting
that Mrs. Eisenhower's health
might influence the President
against seeking a second term.
Noting that Mrs." Eisenhower
has been confined to bed this
week with influenza, House
GOP Leader Joseph W. Martin
Jr., said "it is certainly poor
taste to drag a temporary ill
ness into the political offensive."
Plan Could Lead
Nation to Doom,
Secretary Says
Senate Slates Vote
On Plan Next Week
Washington U.R) Treasury
Secretary George M. Humphrey
today denounced a compromise
tax-cutting plan proposed by
some Senate Democrats as "ir
responsible . . . political" and
"silly."
He told the House Ways and
Means Committee the proposal
might take the nation down the
road to "gloom and doom."
Speaker Sam Rayburn indi
cated meantime that House Dem
ocrats might not be too unhappy
with the compromise proposed
by their fellow party members in
the Senate.
Rayburn played a key part in
sponsorship and passage of a $20
per person tax cut approved by
the House. He told reporters the
proposed Senate compromise
looks "very interesting."
"If they pass it," he said, "we
will be willing to consider it
seriously."
Vote Next Week
The Senate started debate on
the tax bill today, but will not
vote until next week. The com
promise faced an uncertain fate
there. Some key Democrats such
as Sens. Harry F. Byrd of Vir
ginia and Walter F. George of
Georgia, were against it.
Humphrey blasted the Senate
proposal for a smaller income
tax cut as "just as irresponsible,
just as political and just as bad
from every point of view as the
original proposal" to cut income
taxes $20 a head which passed
the House.
He said the Senate plan would
have "the added disadvantage"
of repealing tax relief enacted
last year for business which "re
versed the trend from gloom and
doom to better times."
Compromise Proposal
The compromise Senate pro
posal calls for a tax cut effective
next Jan. 1 of $20 a head for all
taxpayers plus $10 for all de
pendants except wives. It would
be restricted generally to fam
ilies earning less than $5,000 a
year. The loss of revenue would
be offset by repeal of new de
preciation rules and the special
tax relief for stockholders that
Congress enacted last year.
As the Senate opened debate
on the tax bill, Republican lead
er William F. Knowland of Cal
ifornia told reporters that the
Eisenhower administration is
"opposed" to the Democratic
compromise and "we GOP sena
tors are going to resist it."
"The proposed compromise is
not satisfactory and .1 do not
think it will be adopted by the
Senate," he said.
Portland Hotel Fire
Suspect Arrested
Portland U.R) Police today
took into custody Russell Arn
old U'Ren, who was wanted on
a negligence charge in connec
tion with yesterday's Lind hotel
fire here that resulted in five
deaths.
U'Ren was spotted by two pa
trolmen at W. Burnside st. and
8nd ave. He told them, "I was
going to turn myself in to you
fellows today." He said he spent
the night in a room near where
he was picked up.
Police said the charge arose
from a statement U'Ren made to
a reporter and Fire Marshal C.
W. Stickney.
Stickney said U'Ren told of a
blanket catching fire in his
room, that he tossed it into &
hallway, poured water on it and
thought it was out.
Divorces, Marriages
In 1955 Are Listed
Forty-eight marriages have
been performed in Jackson coun
ty and 36 divorces have been,
granted since the first of Janu
ary, according to figures released
today by the county clerk's of
fice. During January, 22 marriages
were performed, and 20 divorces,
involving families with 21 chil
dren, were granted. There were
26 marriages and 16 divorces in
volving families with 14 children
during February.