The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-01-22

~~~~~ surprise.
 Harold Whitney Mason, the gen. tleman in question, is a Staunch Republican of the most tried and tested variety. He comes from Vermont, which certainly cannot be accused of disloyalty in its COP allegiance. He is 8 mem Der of that citadel of rock-bound RepublicaniSm, the Union League Club of New York. He is a suc- cessful industrialist, utility di- rector in a life insurance firm.
 But, despite this background, he hold definitely progressive views (some COP leaders would call them revolutionary and supports some of the most ad- vance aims of the New Deal. In fact, Mason had put some of these ideas into practice in his own manufacturing plant before the New Deal came into exist ence.
 Mason's political creed, in brief, is that the Republican party must realize that new day has been born in the USA, and that the party's only hope of regaining power is to recognize this fact and formulate program which appeals to other groups than big business and finance. And when he says "other groups" he refers to the farmers and labor-par- ticularly labor.
 Success Story
 The life story of the new sec- rctary of the Republican National Committee is that of the small town boy who marries the boss daughter and climbs up the lad der of success. The story begins in Worcester, Mass, where Mason was born 43 years ago. He went to college at Dartmouth, gradu- ated about the time the United States entered the World war, enlisted in the air corps, and while a fledgling flyer, met and married Evelyn Durham of Brattleboro, Vt.
 After the war was over, our hero went back to Brattleboro and began work in the factory of his father-in-law, who operates Dun ham Brothers company, manufac- turerS of shoes and rubber goods. This was where he put into effect his New Deal reforms.
 By the time the depression broke, Mason had risen to be vice president of the firm and was able to put into operation his own private wage-hour act.
 First he installed a five-day, forty-hour week. Later, when or ders were slack, he kept his en- ployes busy tidying up the estab- liShment and doing other made work. Throughout the depression no one was laid off and there were no wage-cuts. During periods when the company lost money, wage-scales were maintained out of surplus.
 ''We feel that part of firms surplus rightfully belongs to the workers" Mason explains. Per haps especially so in our case, because we have very small labor turnover and many of our people have been with us ten, twenty and twenty-five years. Every business man makes money out of his help. If he paid them all they were worth he couldn't stay in business"
 Since 1883 Mason has made the short work-Week permanent and increased wages several times. In addition his company has set up a profit-sharing system.
 SOcialized Medicine
 Mason has some other ideas which Republicans of the old school would consider revolution ary. He believes in socialized medicine and thinks it would be an excellent idea off the Repub- lican party woulda dvocate such a program. His convictions were formed after first-hand experience with the Brattleboro Memorial hospital, an experience which causes him to refute as nonsense charges that the plan is social istic".
 That sort of talk is silly" he says. Group medicine is not soclalistic, and if it were it wouldn't matter. It is a sensi- hle and fine method of prOvid- ing medical attention for peo- pie who need it most. The cOun- try can use great deal more of it."
 Mason took charge of the hos pital and surgical insurance plan in Bratlebor and underwrote it for eight years. Fees are es- tabliShed by the doctors them selves and patients are free to pick their own physician. Out of OFF THE RECORD