Mr FAIRBAIRN (Flinders) (12:20 PM) . - I agree with what the honorable member for Franklin (Mr. Frost) wishes to achieve by his amendment, but I prefer the amendment foreshadowed by the Minister (Mr. Archie Cameron) at an earlier stage. I had moved an amendment providing for an election of the board by a ballot of the growers. It was agreed as a compromise that the firstboard should be chosen in the manner proposed in the bill, but that future boards should be elected by ballot of the growers. As a further measure of security for the growers, the Minister undertook to introduce an amendment providing for the holding of a plebiscite very much on the lines suggested by the honorable member for Franklin, except that it would be held only if petition were made by 500 growers. The honorable member will admit that if there existed real dissatisfaction among the growers no difficulty would be experienced in having a petition signed by500 of them. The amendment of the honorable member, however, would make it mandatory to hold a plebiscite, even though the growers were satisfied with the board, which, I feel, they would be at the end of three years. I do not think that this amendment would give the growers any greater security than they would enjoy under the amendment proposed by the Minister. Therefore, I suggest that the honorable member for Franklin withdraw his amendment in favour of the Minister's.

Amendment - by leave - withdrawn.

Clause 25 negatived.