The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-08-04
ALBERTA GOING
 ON SCRIPT PLAN
Promised $2S for Every Citizen in Province Has
 Not Come to Pass

Calgary, Alta, Aug. 4- (UP)-- Prime Minister William Aberhart announced today that distribution of 100000 certificates of one dollar denomination to workers on pfo- vineial government projects would begin Thursday or Friday. He calls the certifcates prosperity certihs cates." They are c form of scrip designed to redeem themselves by c tax which penaiises those who keep them out of circulation. The scheme is based upon some of those oIns ployed by communities in the Unit cd States during the depression. By use of this type of velocity dollar" !" Premier Aberhaft, who heads AL berta's government which caEne into power on the premise t0 pay "Bocial credip dividends to citizens, hopes to overcome the scarcity of money ln the financially depressed province. This done, he is confident that with the aid of social credit dividends, he will restore prosperity.
 Differs From Promise
 Adoption of the prosperity certi- ficates is c separate undertaking from the provincial governments promised social credit dividends of s26 for each citizen, although an- nouncement of the issuance of the scrip and plans for registering the citizenry for social credit dividends coincided. Approximately 100000 certificates and one cent stamps to be affixed to them have been prints cd. The premier plans to effect dis- tribution of the new money on c voluntary basis. lie plans to pay workers on government public works projects with $40 . month in scrip. Another 940 for each worker k to be retained by the government each month aB Q credit for the workers' use during the winter unemployment period.
 Law Makers Percentage
 Additional circulation iB to be achieved by paying members of the legislature and state employees in as high c percentage of scrip aS they will accept. Social credit members of tho legislature have agreed to accept 26 per cent in scrip, the government announced. The gov. ernment also iS attempting to have municipalities accept the scrip if1- stead of cash relief grants from the province. The holder of prosperity certihcateg ct the end of each week of possession iB required to afhx Q one cent stamp to Dc purchased with cash, to each dollar Of scrip. At the end of two years if the certificate has been stamped properly, it will carry Si,04 in stamps, and the gov- ernment promises to redeem it for 1i in cash.
 Not Social Credit
 r. c. Manning, minister of trade and industry explained that the certificates had nothing to do with social credit dividends. "rhe certi- flcateS are not social credit" he said. "rhey are cniy 0 preliminary for the purpose of meeting an i'm. mediate condition and have no con. nection with the basic dividend be- yond the possibility that they may show tho people of Alberta the possibilities of using their own credit instead of bank credit" He said that haSic dividends will Dc paid citizens of Alberta whether the stamped certificates are c success CT not. Certificates are q medium of exchange, Manning explained, but the dividends will Dc only c matter of credit.
 Basic Dividends Criticised
 The basic dividend covenant has caused considerable criticism, parti- culariy in Edmonton. Opposition leaders pointed to the statement of qualifications for tho dividend and the covenant and said it would "hog tic" tho premicr's followers. They contendcd that in event the prosperity certificates fail to cIrcu- late, tho citizens will have signed away any right to claim currency from the province in return for the certificates that they hold. There is no requirement of loyalty to the so- cial credit government i1 any poll. tical senSe," Manning explained. "The covenant does require c prom. iso of full cooperation from the citizen receiving dividends. There iS no compulson but # c citizen pre- fers not to cooperate with the gov. ernment then he forfeitS his right to basic dividends"
 Request For Farmers
 HftaA aAuasaa aLa la sssa aaa ka aAfI up to 50 per cent of their produce for Alberta credit within the pro. vince. Professional men are asked to receive 20 per cent of their fees in Alberta credit and business firms are asked to cooperate in the same way. The government seeks com- pliance with the scrip plan in 0 covenant circulated simultaneously with registration forms for basic dividends.
 PrOm:Ses They Make
 Signatories to the from also promise ito work whenever pos- sible and to accept my remunera. ton in Alberta credit 50 far aG can reasonably do so and to tender no Alberta credit in payment of provincial taxes, licenses, royalties, fines, until such time as the Alberta government shall be able to accept all or part of the taxes and such, as well as cooperate most heartily with the government" The govern ment promises among other things to establish as early as possible and maintain Q just rate of wages with reasonable hours of labor, to grant interest free loans in Alberta credit on such term as mutually agreed upon, not exceeding 2 per cent for administration charges, for building of a home or the establishment of a registered citizen in his own en- terprise if conducted to the eco- homie requirements of the province and to give monthly dividends to all registered Alberta citizens"