THE NEW HEBRIDES. France Intends Occupation. (SPECIAL CABLEGRAMS. ) London, June 18.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 159, 3 July 1886, Page 6

THE NEW HEBRIDES. France Intends Occupation. (SPECIAL CABLEGRAMS. ) London, June 18.

It is said that while M. De FreycineV,French Minister for Foreign Affairs, dis* claims any desire on the part of France to secure the New Hebrides by strategical means which might cause annoyance to the British Government, it is regarded aa eer* tain that Fiance will continue her military provisions for the protection of French subjects against attacks by natives of the islands.

Proposed Anglo-French Agreement. London, June 22 (7.S p.m.)— Mr Graham Berry, Agent-General for Victoria, has advised the Earl of Roseberry, British Minister for Foreign Affairs, to adop f , the policy of inducing France to relinquish her - claims to the New Hebrides, acd to cede New Caledonia and, if possible, the Garabier Islands, now under a French protectorate, m exchange for the Falkland Isles, The Gambier Islands, which form ono of the numerous Polynesian groups, include Pitcairn's Island, and furnish good supplies of fresh water. London, June 23. - Mr Graham Berry 9 Agent-General for Victoria, is shortly to_ confer with Lord Eoseberry, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, on the subject of 1 mutual concessions between Franca and Britain. The principal object of the conference is to ascertain whether any arrangement likely to be acceptable to both parties might bo proposed, whereby France would evacuate her possessions in the Pacific on consideration of the British Government ceding to her territory elsewhere.

Whitewash and Kerosene. — To the liberal and judicious use of whitewash can be directly attributed the freedom from , foul odours and lice, those pests of the poultrymen, so noticeable in many a well ordered chicken house. The money in--vested in a flock of pure bred fowls usually proves a sufficient incentive, aside fromanything else, to insure good sanitary regulations, but there are many others who keep fowls, noticeably, farmers, who pay little if any attention to giving their birds good, wholesome, commodious quarters. This is gross carelessness, and is productive • of much loss, both directly and indirectly, for no stock of any kind whatever can b& expected to do its best when quartered in filth, and with every inducement for vermin to congregate and irmltiply. The roosts are never taken down nor disturbed from one year's end to another ; a box is tacked up to the side of the house filled with straw, and left untouched and unmolested until about worn out, while the whole house is as innocent of whitewash as can be. Let this thing be remedied, and nobetter time than now, right away,, can bo - found for it. * '