The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-06-06

When the report of the Fairfield County Republican organization policy committee is presented at an organization meeting today further attempt to eliminate from the state central committee three members named in grand jury reports is expected. A report has been drawn recommending this purge, con- demning corruption" and "com- mending" public officers who have taken part in the investigations and reports of the Waterbury and Mer- ritt Parkway grand juries.
 Not so definite is the comment re- leased about the policy committee S stand on the matter of Harry E. Mackenzie, "boss" of Fairfield coun- ty, who has been the most power full ally of Senator J. Kenneth Brad ley, president of the Fairfield Coun- ty Republicans, and Samuel F. Pry- or, Jr., national committeeman. Mackenzie is under arrest at Water bury on conspiracy charges result ing from the grand jury's report OH lobbying fee-splitting.
 Named By Jury
 The report of the policy commit tee is aimed particularly at Clar- ence G. Willard, longtime Old Guard leader, who, in his Connecti- cut State Journal, attacked the Fair field County leaders as individuals "who live in New York and sleep in Connecticut to save taxes" The re- ference was aimed at National Com mitteeman Pryor and was reply to the Fairfield County factions re- commendation that Willard, Major John Buckley, of Union, and Charles E. Williamson, of Darien, resign from the Republican state commit tee, pending disposition of the charges in grand jury reports, ar- rests in the case of Williamson, named with Mackenzie in the Wa terbury investigation.
 It was hinted that Mackenzie might be reason for proposing a plan to change handling of town matters so that town chairmen would be less under the domination of the county leaders. Inasmuch as the Bethel "boss" is reputed to hold practically all of the town chairmen lin his pocket" as the saying goes, the result of such a proposal would appear to observers to be only a gesture of the county leaders to at tempt separation in the public mind of the county big man from the Bradley-Pryor combine.
 Protect Policy
 The latter group feels more strongly than ever that it must get Willard, Buckley and Williamson out of the state committee in order to protect the policy Willard attacked, that of sending out funds from Fairfield County to parts of the state where there is interest" in order to further the factions power for the nearing state elections. Such an occurance last fall saw the Fair field County Republican council sending $500 to Waterbury for use in the election where Republicans joined with Independent Democrats to fight the administration, headed by Lieutenant Governor Frank Hayes, incumbent mayor.
 Whether the Bradley-Proyor group took peek into the crystal ball and foresaw what was about to happen to the Republican-controlled state highway department through the Merritt Parkway grand jury's exposure of the commission splitting and kickbacks, is not certain. But evidence points to diplatmic move by the Fairfield group to compete with the discrediting of the Repub- licans in their county by supporting the Waterbury ticket with thought to go fishing for evidence of corrup- tion in Waterburys Democratic ad- ministration.
 When the Waterbury investiga- rived again. Areas visited before