The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1879-10-18 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

EPITOME OF NEWS.  BRITISH AND FOREIGN, --There was a bhock of earthquake last. Saturday at the Roumanian town ot Turn-Severin on the Danube.  A statue of Cervantes has been erected in hi a birthplace, Meals de Henares, festivities being organized by the municipality and the Society of Spanish Authors.  The repor:s of the ill-health of the Pope are ex oggerated. He has undergone a surgical operation, but rs cot ktepiug Iris bed, and remains in his anartnaent occupied wlth his work on the government of the Church. Fourteen and a half hours of sunshioo sv.,re recorded at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, last week. At Glynde, Lewes, the Speaker of the House of Commons registered 181 hours. No rain fell.  _ Under date Oct. 12, the Bucharest correspondent of The. 2intes says :—" A brother•in•l-aw of lase Minister Cretzultsco committed suicide in a Bucharest hotel yester• day morning. The unfortunate gentleman was bittbn some weeks ago by a rabid dog, and feeling some strange symptoms, stabbed himself to avoid the dreadful sufferings ~f the disease with which he believed himself threatened. The u hole Orient Is infested with hordes of worthless dogs, which should be slaughtered in the interests of humanity. Thsre is a wonderful field in Rumania and Turkey for the makers of dogskin gloves." From a series of semi official returni it apoars that the daily average wages of the colliers varies in the dit, ferebt British coal-producing districts from 3s. lid. to 9s. 7d.  - - The Turkish newspaper, the Vakit, gives some particulars of the Bucket drawn up by the Porte for the present year. The Civil List of the Sultan is down for 1,080,000 TurLish pounds, or about a milieu sterling. The coniruou expenditure amounts to 1,581,852,846 piastres, whereas the revenue does not exceed 1,428,182,000 piastres, which makes a deficiency of 163,175,000 piastres, or about 40,000,000 francs. The War BuOget figures for 610,000,000 pltostreh, and the Budget of Public Instruc.ion for a minimum of 12,001,00) piastres.  _ On Monday the fourth annual Dairy Show of the British Dairy Farmers Association was opened at the . Agricultural Hall, Landon. The number of entries was 220 above those of last year. There were 247 head of cattle, being 15 in elctss of those exhibited In 1878. The gross live stock reached 312 specimens. A. fifth Russian cruiser has been ordered by the committee of the Volunteer Fleet The vessel Is to be built at Marseilles, and is to cost 2,500,0001 r. The following is an extract from a despatch from her Majesty's Minister at Athens, August 20, 1870 :—" A monument has been raised in the cemetery of Athens to the memory of Mr. Ogle, who was killed In rhessaly last year curing the insurrection The expense has been defrayed by a subscription, purposely limited to small sums of one, two, and three drachmas Large subscriptions offered by rich Greeks were not accepted. The 'monument; cost £.llO. The flutesber of persons who joined in srectirriAit'a-prpof of the widespread sympathy throughout the country for Mr. Ogle." An important conference took place on Saturday at Durham, between the Durham Coalowners, Committee and the Federation Board, consisting of deputations from the Durham Miners', Euginemen's, Cokeruen's, and Mechanics' Associations, for the purp.rqs of re-establishing a eliding scale for future regulation- of wages. After an exceedingly long sitting a sliding scale was agreed to, and the document was made bin 'ing try the attachment of the signatures of the contracting associations. The scale will continue in force for two sears, au & either party desiring to terminate the agreement 131Itlit give Os monthe! notice.