causing prices to stiffen and delivery dates to lengthen with slippages in schedules occurring with increasing frequency. Mineral deposits standing alone are not attractive unless they reside in a country whose investment climate is favorable. Here Australia ranks very high on the list, for it is one of the few continents that is appealing from a political standpoint and also has the attraction of demonstrated and undeveloped mineral wealth. In contrast with many other countries of the British Commonwealth of Nations in Asia and Africa - for instance, the Republic of South Africa -there is not only a stable government but an absence of racial tension. In Australia there is the added benefit of a common language - well, reasonably common - and similar legal and political systems. If you are not yet willing to accept government as an inevitable partner in your business, don't seek relief by going to Australia. There, as here, government is your constant companion. Compared to ours, the Commonwealth is a weaker federation and the States in Australia relatively more powerful than our own in many respects. So you often find that the prosecution of your plans requires you to negotiate separately various phases with both the federal and state levels. There is a measure of direct or indirect government control or interference with private enterprise, and once in a while this can be troublesome. However, our experience in Australia has indicated a willingness on the part of government people generally to work out a fair and equitable solution to problems as they arise. -14-