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Show Speculators Cramming Warehouses Ware-houses in Effort to Corner the Foodstuff Market. DISRUPT RETAIL TRADE Grocers' Shelves Svept Clean of Staples Many Phone , Orders Unanswered. CHICAGO, April 20. "Stop hoarding food." This was the cry that swept Chicago today as two new restraints were thrown into the steady growing wave of household buying. First, an Investigation of reportB that speculators were cramming warehouses ware-houses in an effort to corner tho market mar-ket In certain foodstuffs was begun by city officials. Second, through Its president, Mrs. T. Vernotto Morso, the home market Instituted a nation-wide movement to check hoarding of foods through appeals ap-peals to the patriotism of women. Grocers' Trade Disrupted. Despite the restraints thrown about food hoarding by the quantity limitations limita-tions established by grocers, buying by householders who feared further advances ad-vances reached a degree of intensity which led grocers in many sections of the city to institute what amounted to the virtual disruption of the retail grocery gro-cery trade routine. Deliveries in many instances were stopped entirely or limited to certain products. Quantity restrictions were expanded until they covered almost every staple. In many instances telephone tele-phone orders were refused and in still others telephones were left to ring unanswered. un-answered. Reports were received today that grocers' shelves in many instances had been swept clean of the very staples, the sales of which the grocers had sought to limit canned goods, sugar and flour. |