These days all over America a struggle is going on for an increase of wages, shortening of working hours, and recognition of unions. Workers in all industries request an eight-hour workday.

Eight hours work, eight hours sleep, eight hours rest, are a logical division of a day, and yet a hard struggle is necessary to obtain this just request.

This was not a common fight but also blood was spilled. It we consider the length of time since the movement for shorter working hours began, it is incredible how little success has been achieved.

In the sixties of the last century, when machinery was introduced in the United States, many farsighted labor leaders asked for an eight-hour working day. This idea was favorably accepted, and in 1868 a law was passed in Congress decreeing an eight-hour working day for all workers and employees of the government.

Otherwise this law, with some exceptions, was not very effective. Finally the workers decided through strong organizations to secure by pressure their demands, because the legislators failed to do so.

At the convention of the Federation of Trades and Labor Unions of the United States and Canada, held in Chicago 1884, it was resolved to lead a strong fight for an eight-hour working day, starting May 1, 1886. The workers of Chicago kept their promise. On May 1, 1886, twenty-five thousand workers left work.

The capitalistic press, aided at first the workers' demand for shorter hours as a just one, but changed its mind when the workers stood their ground. The result was the well-known Haymarket affair, which cost its leaders their lives and which set the movement back for many years.

But agitation was renewed and grew stronger than before. If there is not yet complete success, in forty different trades an eight-hour day is being introduced, as was stated at the last convention of the American Federation of Labor.

In America the movement grew stronger for an eight-hour working day since the European war, America, as an industrial country not entangled in the war, accepted orders for good money to supply the countries at war.

The demand for workers is very high. The workers have decided to profit from this opportunity to demand shorter hours. All workers joined the fight for eight hours work.

It seems that the workers will persist in their claim for shorter hours this time.