At home or play games. They even suggested that the workers play a football match with the police. The miners had ideas how a football match with the police should be run. Such ideas are not approved by the Football Association.

REVOLUTIONARY BEGINNINGS

The mass pickets gave enormous strength to the transport permit committees. These committees had been formed when the Government refused the T.U.C. offer to carry on food transport along with health services. The purpose of the committees was to check the claims of, and grant permits, to those wishing to transport food or other essentials. In most localities employers ignored the government transport committees and humbly presented their claims to the strikers' permit committees. In Northumberland and Durham the O.M.S. broke down and the government's Regional Commissioner at Newcastle pleaded to the Joint Strike Committee to join him dual control of the food distribution.

The attack on other forms of communication was gravely hindered by the timidity of the General Council. Post Office, telephone and telegraph workers were never called out. The position of electricity supply workers was very obscure. The G.C. talked of cutting off power but maintaining light. In most cases the electrical workers settled the problem by coming out.

While the workers struck at the communications of the enemy they at the same time organized their own. Thousands of cars and motor-cycles, tens of thousands of cycles stood ready at strike headquarters or sped along the roads, the black and yellow T.U.C. label clearing the road before them.

The strike was organized in each town by a hastily formed Council of Action. In some cases these councils were just the old trades councils or their executive committees. In other cases entirely new councils were formed by delegates or officials from the district offices of the chief unions. In Northumberland and Durham the local Councils