WELLINGTON WOOL SALE.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14842, 6 December 1913, Page 16

WELLINGTON WOOL SALE.

PRICES DROP Id TO ljd. (rHESS ASSOCIATION TXLJtGSAM.) WELLINGTON, December 5. The December local woo! sales started at 9 a.m. to-day at the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall. There was an aggregate catalogue of 10,000 bales offered, or 1150 less than the corresponding sale of last year, and this notwithstanding that no sale was held here as usual last month on account of tho strike. Opening prices were about on

• par with those of the Napier sales i held this week, bat were Id to ljd j below those ruling at the Wellington r sales of December last. The wool ofi fered this year was not quite so good as that of "the wool offered last year, - and for this the weather was mainly . responsible. In the Wairarapa proper, for instance, the sheep generally shore t very lightly this year. Where a farmer sheared 170 bales this year he 5 sheared 200 bales last year off the same number of sheep. The wool, then, is; lighter in grease and less in quantity and poorer in quality. The farmer will, however, be compensated for the hnlanee nrninst him on account of wooi j by the strength of the meat marke; , i>< acinic on uio whole was keen, but it was obvious at the outset that the farmers' ideas of values were far above the actual market prices, and the conI sequence was that a chilling effect upon . buyers was at times rather noticeable, [ as lot after lot would be bid for and passed in. American buying was a [ practically negligible quantity, but the Continent was well represented, followed by Bradford. Local mills bought well. The following is the ranc;e of prices realised to-day, compared with those ruling 'at the corresponding sale . last year:— Dec, 1912. Doc., 1913. " Halfbr'd medium .. 10i to 12 0} to 10} I superior 11 to 13J 101 to 11* " Crossbred medium 10 to Hi 9 to WJ " Crossbred coar&e .. 9 to 10 8 to 3j - Crossbred inferior.. 9 to 9i 7J to 85 Crossbred piece* and I bellies .. 5J to 10J SJ. to &5 Halfbred .. .. — 7 to 01 1 Lurnba, beet .. — 10 to 111 1 Lambe, medium. ... — 9 to 10 ' Lambs, inferior .. — 6 to 0