CRISIS STAGE IN MINERS' STRIKE

yesterday introduced sweeping emergency powers to deal with the month-long miners' strike. The third similar declaration since Heath took office, they provide for the use of troops and military vehicles to carry out 'essential work'.

Other regulations deal with 'maintaining law and order' and offenders face £100 fines or imprisonment for three months, or both.

The regulations came into power after a Privy Council meeting chaired by the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, wife of photographer Lord Snowdon.

While the regulations were receiving royal assent, Robert Employment Secretary Carr was seeing miners' leaders and representatives from the National Coal Board. Now entering its 32nd day, the strike is at its most crucial stage.

Two features of the strike clearly emerging: • The strike is maintaining support of the broad mass workers in Britain. • Picketing'is successful difficulties, and beginning to bite.

Therefore, yesterday's declaration of a state of emergency is not a sign of Tory strength, but a sign of their weakness.

The desperation in high Tory circles is mirrored in yesterday's capitalist press.

"The Times', for example, has an • untypical appeal for the miners to be treated as 'a special case'. The editorial yesUnemployment 1930s Manifesto Derry youth on Right to Work march 6 & 7 What happened to James Larkin?

TV programmes 11 terday says: "Obviously they will not returi to work without an improved offer or a further period of battle... the union leaders cannot expect the gavernment simriy to sell out.

"They must certainly be ready to make the most of anything which the NCB can offer with the government's blessing, and if they reach agreement, they must persuade men worked up by the experience of the strike to accept it.' Biggest danger Embodied in this piece of "Times' advice, is one of the biggest dangers facing minersthe possibility of the NUM leadership , winning the wage battle against the government, but being fobbed off with only a few bob more than Ezra is offering now.

The miners should stand on their claim, the full claim and nothing but the claim.

"The Guardian' also limped into action yesterday with a main editorial on the strike.

Also arguing for 'special-case' creatment, it said that the government and the TUC 'must realize that the country expects a way out of this frightening and socially divisive dispute to be found this week'.

Suse hysterica range he course, what frightens Guardian' (and the Tory government) is the real threat of mass class action in support of the miners.

Because, in spite of the cowardice of the TUC, then the retreat on wages by the engineers' leaders and this week the power workers' leaders, the working class has not experienced such class solidarity and militancy for decades.

Carr and company can bring in their emergency laws. But if one British soldier tries to break a picket line, it could well be the last episode in the brief and hated history of this government. • SEE Miners' interviews 10) and news (p. 12). POWER STATION TICKING OVER SAY PICKETS who have been comes up by boat, but our picket boats a stop to that' COETE LİSTERN REGION FORE STAND POWEREMERGENCY • ANNOUNCING the emergency regulations in the House, Home Secretary Reginald Maudling said the armed forces would only be used if it became absolutely essential to maintain