672 QUEENSLAND, 1879.- REPORT OF STOCK INSPECTOR. 
Wales, was drawn up, and is now available, should it be 
deemed advisable to introduce it this session. The principle 
of the proposed measure is, that all sheep shall travel on 
permit (obtained free of charge) to a destination specified 
in the permit; but should they return to the run or district 
from which they originally started within a certain period, 
they must do so on a renewed permit, for which the owner 
shall pay a grass charge at a fixed rate—say one penny per 
mile per 100 sheep—to cover the whole distance travelled 
from the time of starting until their return. 
The Draft Bill was submitted to several owners who take 
an active interest in the subject—including some who had 
to travel sheep during the late drought—and by them it was 
suggested that instead of levying the charge at per mile, it 
should be calculated at per diem, and thus obviate all cause 
of dispute as to the actual distance travelled—disputes of 
that nature having, as I am informed, occurred in the course 
of working the New South Wales Act. 
Cattle. 
Although the returns of cattle made under the Brands 
Acts are valueless as affording information as to the actual 
number of cattle in the Colony (no returns are made by 
those owning less than fifty head), still it would appear from 
the returns already to hand, that the losses from drought 
during 1878 have not been by any means so heavy as was 
generally anticipated. The assessment paid early last year 
represented a total of 2,140,700 stock (horses and cattle) in 
the Colony at 1st January, 1878, whilst up to the present 
the assessment received for the current year represents a total 
of stock (horses and cattle) at 1st January last of 1,960,000, 
showing a falling off of only 180,007, with further returns 
yet to be received from distant districts. 
During the year, 133 bulls, of the declared value of 
£12,248, and 78 cows, of the declared value of £3912, 
were imported by sea from the southern colonies. In addition 
to these, a large number of valuable shorthorn bulls and 
heifers were introduced borderwise into the western districts 
from some of the best pure herds of Victoria. 
The prohibition against cattle from the United Kingdom 
having been rescinded, it became necessary to make further 
provision for keeping in quarantine any animals that may be 
shipped for this colony. We have already stables at Dun- 
wich to accommodate nine cattle ; but, as the term of quar¬ 
antine has been fixed at ninety days, it is necessary that 
a'ccommodation be provided sufficient to keep different ship- 
