The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. TUESDAY DECEMBER, 8, 1885. The Wool Sales.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1346, 8 December 1885, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. TUESDAY DECEMBER, 8, 1885. The Wool Sales.

The second of the series of wool sales inaugurated by the local auctioneers was held in Ashburton yesterday, and, as the prices realised and published in this issue will show, was an unqualified success. This result is the more gratifying as it was attained in spite of a determined attempt made by a section of Christchurch buyers and others to boycot country sales. For some days it has been an “open secret” that a number of fellraongers and representatives of foreign woolhouses have agreed to abstain from making purchases at auctions held beyond the precincts of the larger marts. Of course these gentlemen have a perfect right to tic their own hands as they please. On such points individuals should be the best judges of their own interests,, and although it is strange that these people should have attempted to interfere with the natural courseof trade, and stranger still that large foreign buyers should have entrusted their business to agents totally ignorant of the resources and temper of the country, the affair is none of ours. Buying is always a voluntary operation - a man fcfefy'U cooftw&t by poverty or t>vW I

circumstances to sell, but it is difficult to imagine any reason by which an individual can be obliged to purchase. The Ashburton auctioneers possess far too much practical common sense to suppose that they can at once break up the band of obstructionists to whom we have referred, but they have administered a well deserved rebuff to those misguided gentlemen which is likely to inspire them with something like an adequate estimation of their importance and power. The attempt to boycot the Ashburton sales only escaped being impudent by being puerile and ridiculous. We have no desire to say more on the subject; the discomfiture of the boycotters is complete, their experience has cost the Ashburton wool growers nothing, and we may dismiss the matter by congratulating the local auctioneers upon the remarkable degree of success that has attended their energy, enterprise, and business tact.