The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-12-08
Egg King With 72 Million on
Hands Cries Enough"
Butter Comes Down 6 Cents,
Eggs 5; Potatoes Drop Is.
SUBPOENA 500 GROCERS
Chicago Grand Jury Extends
Probe to Retailers.
Railroads Place Embargo on
Export Commodities.

Chica go. Dec. S-The corner in eggs
and other produce appeared to have
been smashed today when prices, al
ready sharply lower, were expected to
tumble still more. Widespread boy
colts on butter, eggs and produce and
the extension of grain and meat en-
bargoes to include practically all food
stuffs were chiefly responsible
Eggs were down today cents be-
low the high point and butter had de-
clined 6 cents a pound. Potatoes,
banished from many tables when
they became a luxury, have dropped 10
to 5 cents a bushel.
Retail prices are expected to follow
the decline in wholesale prices, closely
following the summoning of five hun
dred retail grocers to appear before
the federal grand jury here today.
Egg Magnatcs Worried.
Egg men were worried over the
warm weather. which is expected to
make thousands of hens on poultry
farms resume laying. Commission men
report that Wetz, the egg king" is
stuck with 72,000,000 eggs on his
hands. Wetz himself admitted that he
has got enough of this
Boycott Working in x. c.
Kansas City, Mo, Dec. S.-Altho not
officially effective until Sunday, the
egg boycott in this city already is
working, according to the advocates
of the boycott. A restaurant man de-
clared today that the boycott not only
is bringing down the price of eggs, but
also is taking other inflated prices
down with it. Members of the Restau-
rant Mems association carried signs on
n re f11ea
egg trust; don't eat eggs"
Subpoena 500 Retailers.
Chicago. Dec s.--The federal grand
jury investigating the high cost of
food stuffs will bear testimony as to
conditions in the retail grocery trade.
Charles F. Clyne, United States dis
t ct attorney, announced today. Mr..
Clyne said that a list of nearly 500
grocers for whom summonses will be
issued within a few days is being pre-
pared.
The announcement indicated a
broadening of the scope of the in
quiry which heretofore has looked to
the examination of wholesalers and
producers only.
Rail Embargo Hits West.
Chicago, Dec. S-Embargo orders
which practically bar the whole
western part of the United States from
shipment of commodities for export
from Atlantic ports or for eastern con-
sumption went into effect on the
f nnsylvania lines and the Erie rail-
road east of Chicago today. The or
ders bar virtually every commodity.
the usual exception being made, how
ever, for perishable freight in transit,
and for United States government
shipments. H. c. Snyder's assistant
general freight agent of the Erie ex-
planned that the order of his road
"even applies to livestock to the ex-
tent that we no longer accept live
s. +0ck from connecting lines"
No limit is set on the duration of
the embargo which is attributed to the
congestion of loaded freight cars in
the big yards on the Atlantic sea-
board. Railroad officials here pointed
out that spectators and jobbers for
warning European nations have been
piling up cars in the eastern yards for
many months.