Pledge by McEwen to protect Industries.  SHEPPARTON (Vic.), Monday. The Federal Government would stand by any Australian industries harmed by Britain's proposed entry to the European Common Market, the Leader of the Country Party and Minister for Trade, Mr J. McEwen, said tonight.  Mr McEwen said the Government would use its best efforts to protect al Australian industries in the negotiations with the Common Market countries on the terms of Britain's entry. But if, unhappily, any industries were grievously harmed, the Government pledged itself to stand by them. Mr McEwen was opening the Country Party campaign for the Federal election on December 9. About 150 people quarterfilled the theatre in which he spoke. They frequently applauded his speech. the first half of which as broadcast. Mr MeEwen said that it Britain joined the Common Market it would be one of the great events of history and would present a major problem for Australia. The Federal Government had reacted with vigour to safeguard Australia’s interests, which had developed during 30 years of contractual reciprocal preferences.  No Industry expendable.  We have industries, indeed whole communities built up around this preferential trade. Britain, of course, has enjoyed benefits here of at least balancing value, he said.  Mr McEwen said the Government would not accept that any single Australian industry was expendable as a price for the preservations of other industries. The whole resources of Government would be devoted to safeguarding the interests of Australian export industries as Britain negotiated to join the Common Market. We will certainly argue that if Britain  is to buy food at higher prices from the continent we will not expect, when selling our food, to receive depressed, unprofitable prices, he said. We will argue that in so major a rethinking of world trading as is involved in the likelihood of 300 million non-communist Europeans coming together in one trading bloc, it is appropriate to discuss what is fair for all who depend on the export of food and raw materials, for their economic survival. Mr McEwen suggested that the United States and other industries evolve a new concept of world price stability at fair levels for bulk commodities. Food surpluses could be discussed at a meeting of the western countries and plans examined to help the hungry people of the world. Such a Policy would satisfy the highest humanitarian concept, and contribute massively to political stability in countries where there were millions of hungry people otherwise open to Communist approaches.  Steady Decline In Export Prices.  I regard the European Common Market issue as on the one hand fraught with great danger to Australian stability, but at the same time providing one of the great opportunities of history if the needs of all free people are to be taken into account, Mr McEwen said. The Common Market negotiations and the part we play in them will be a matter of tremendous importance to the future of Australia’s economy. "Matters of such complexity and importance affecting the future prosperity of all can best be handled by a Government as broadly representative and as balanced in its interests as the present coalition between the Liberal and Country parties. Mr McEwen said that above all other policy objectives the Liberal-County Party Government was determined that Australia should be free and remain free. Communism was the ultimate denial of personal freedom and therefore the Government denounced it. The Country Party which was the first political organisation in Australia to demand that Communism be banned, also opposed Socialism as a contradiction of the concept of a free and selfreliant Australian nation. Mr McEwen said the Government would ensure that manufacturing industry in Australia had adequate, tariff protection to grow strong and expand. There was evidence that this protection had been sustained. Today there were 41 per cent more factories in Australia than in 1949, when the present Government came to power. The value of factory production was three and a half times greater than it was 12 years.  Inflation Of Costs And Values.  Mr McEwen said the Government had faced last year the problem of concentration on speculative and nonessential activity. This had led to offers of very high interest rates and inflation of costs and values, all of which constituted a threat to a stable and solid base for expansion. Export prices had been declining. If Australia last had enjoyed 1953 of export prices, it would have earned £400 million more than it received for its increased quantities of exports. This, in a nutshell, was what led the Government to introduce the economic, policies which had been distasteful and hurtful to many. But today we are confident that these inflationary and speculative pressures at home have been arrested," Mr McEwen said. He said he expected the value of rural production to increase from £1,350million today to £1.600million by 1970.  Establishing Warehouses. The value of work done in factories would increase, by 50 per cent and there would be a rise of twothirds in the value of Australia's mineral exports. To help increase Australian export income the Government would support the establishment of warehouses to carry Australian goods for sale in important centres around the world. The Government looked to the steel industry to become a more important and continuous export earner. The decision to reconstruct the railway line between Fremantle and the great iron ore deposits near @ was related to this policy. Mr McEwen said the Country Party said the country party had long advocated decentralisation. There was no doubt that if new States were created in areas they would be a major contribution to decentralisation. Mr McEwen said the election promises of the Leader of the Federal Opposition, Mr A. A. Calwell, were a bubble which would burst and produce a real setback to Australia’s development. A policy of expanding Australia would be meaningless without an assurance that sufficient overseas funds would be earned to provide the import needs of Australian factories. This essential for maximum employment and without it migration could not he sustained.  Congo On Our doorstep. Mr McEwen said Mr Calwell suggestion for U.N. participation in New Guinea development could lead to a Congo on our front doorstep. I greatly fear Mr.Calwell proposal to ask the United Nations to assume the cost of developing New Guinea for self-government. Mr Calwell can find 300 million a year to curry favour in Australia, but to save Australia £5 million or £10 million a year in New Guinea, he would allow Communists of the UN to get a supervising position in New Guinea. We all know that the Communists never pass an opportunity to make mischief and cause disruption, particularly in emerging countries.  MENZIES URGES CAUTION IN VOTING.  In this first national television talk of the federal election campaign, the prime minister, Mr Menzies, said last night the government’s opponents were inviting electors to make a wild experiment by electing the Labour party to power. The electors were being encouraged to an excitable act arising from the very prosperity of the country, merely to see what the Opposition could do. The opposition consistent however of people quarrelling with each other, mostly disliking each other, with hardly an ounce of mutual loyalty. There were a collection of people who have not been able to live together @ and who have not been able to govern themselves politically. Mr. Menzies said that although the government consisted of two parties. Liberal and Country, it had been completely united. We have never had any discord in my government, he said.  Capital investment.  Because Australia’s public credit was high, people overseas were willing to invest here. 1 know what my opponents say they do not like it, he added. But it will be a sad day for Australia if they do, because without the investment of capital in his country our progress would be slowed down almost immeasurable. Mr Menzies said the number of days of work lost under his government had never been as great as the lowest number lost under the preceding labour Government. This was remarkable and all the more so because many people would remember being told by his opponents. Oh, of course they will never be able to get on with organised labour. Yet we have the greatest record of industrial peace that this country can point to, Mr Menzies said. It is only when people have the opportunity of continuity of work and production that Australia can develop more and more as it has developed over the last 20 years.