Rep. Paul W. Cronin (R-Mass.) told delegates to the New England Colleges Republican Federation on Saturday that the Watergate bugging scandal and investigation will not change the attitude of the average American voter toward national politics.

"Cronin felt that in the mind of the average voter, this thing [the Watergate bugging and subsequent investigation] is a part of politics," William B. Schuck '74, chairman of the Harvard Republican Club, said yesterday.

"He said the average voter will recognize that it happens fairly frequently," Schuck commented.

Fifty-four voting delegates from the Republican clubs of seven Massachusetts colleges attended the Federation's annual convention.

Otto Wahlrab, chairman of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee, talked to the delegates in Harvard Hall about what he called a need for increased fund-raising efforts for the GOP. Wahlrab said that candidates are forced to turn to outside interests for funds that the party does not provide.

The convention elected two Harvard students as delegates to a Federation convention on May 12 in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Representatives at Saturday's eight-hour convention also elected nine officials to head the state chapter of the Federation this year. Schuck was elected chairman, and Clifford J. Stratton '75 is the new treasurer. The other new officials are students from other New England colleges which sent representatives to the convention.