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are well populated, and consequently the
work of the police is more concentrated
than in Queensland. South Australia
although possessing a larger area, as a
matter of fact, is the smaller colony, its
population being confined to a part of the
south and a patch in the north, the
remainder of the territory being almost
unsettled. These circumstances are
totally different in Queensland; here the
territory is larger and population is sparse,
settlement is spreading and new gold-
fields are being opened, and our stations
are scattered over an immense area.
Demands for additional police are received
daily, and as an instance of their urgency
I enclose a request recently received from
Inspector Morrisset. The gold escorts also
absorb a number of men and a great
deal of expenditure, with which the other
colonies, whose railway accommodation
is ample, are not hampered. The long
distances apart of our stations also make
the escort of prisoners very expensive,
requiring men to be continually engaged
in this service owing to the long time they
are occupied in the journies, conditions