WOOL MARKET

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 58, 2 December 1926, Page 12

WOOL MARKET

GOOD COMPETITION AT CHRISTCHURCH PRICES HARDEN AS SALE PROGRESSES Dominion Special. Christchurch, December 1. At the first Christchurch wool sale of the season to-day the allocation was 17,900 bales, but only 14,532 bales were offered. The wool was more than usually attractive. It was aright and well grown, tree irom tenderness, but in some classes of plains, wool inclined to be seedy and heavy, due to turnip feeding. However, on the whole it was a better catalogue than offered at the December sale last year. There was some complamt on the part of buyers that harmful tarbranding marked a few of the clips and their instructions were to retrain from bidding for such. At the outset disappointment was expressed at the irregularity of prices and the hesitant demand. Towards the end of the second catalogue, however, this tendency gave place to a “9 r e confident feeling and from then until of the sale the market was a hardening one In most classes of fleece wool there was a firming tendency as ths sale advanced and at _ the conclusion prices were from par to a half-penny better than at the opening stages. Hogget wool particularly met with a stronger demand, some classes being up by three farthings per lb. Local mills took the better quality finer wools, whilst Continental and Bradford buyers were in the market f°r al medium classes of various qualities. Continental buyers were particularly keen after scouring lots. Local tenmongers found it .difficult to supply their needs owing to the relatively high standard set for this class by Continental buvers. A fair weight of hogget wool was taken by American representatives. Passings were negligible, not ainon J“' in” to more than 5 per cent, of the whole offering. The sale evidenced the fact that there is a sound demand tor wool at prices which permit operators to turn their purchases to a profitable account, hut there was a very pronounced disposition to stop sharp at the limits set. The competition of the local mills was a factor of very considerable importance in maintaining a steady run of uniform prices for qualities suitable for local manufacture. The top price of the sale was 2Hd. tor 10 bales of Corriedale ewe. The, halfbred price was 20Jd. for nine bales ewe. The range of prices, compared with the 1925 December sale, which figures are given first, was as follows:—

Merino— d. d. Super 20 to 221 Medium .. 18 to 193 d. d. 18} to 19} 16 to 18} 13} to 15} Corriedale— Super 19* to 21} 18 to 21} Medium 17} to 19 16 to 173 inferior ....... 13J to 16} 14 to 15} fine Halfbred— Super 19 to 23 17} to 205 Medium 163 to 183 164 to 17} Inferior 14 to 16} 13| to 15} Medium Halfbred— Super 18 to 20 16.1 to 183 Medium 15} to 17} 14} to -6} Inferior ... 12} to 15 12} to 14 Coarse halfbred — Super 16} to 18 14} to 15} Medium 145 to 16 18 to 14 • Inferior 10} to 14 11 to 123 Three-q uarter-bred — Super 14} to ISi 13 to 17} Medium 12 to 14 11} to 123 Inferior 93 to 11} 10} to 11 Medium crossbred — Super 133 to 16 12} to 131 Medium 12 to 13 11 to 12 Inferior 9} to 11} 10 to 105 Coarse crossbred— Super 13 to 14 11} to 12 Medium 11 to 123 10} to 11 Inferior 9 to 11} 9 to 10 Merino — Pieces 10} to 19 Halfbred Pieces— Firsts 14 to 18} 13 to 17 Seconds 9 to 13 10 to 12} Crossbred Pieces— Firsts 10 to 12} 9} to 11} Seconds 6} to 9} 7 to 9} Locks— Halfbred 7 to 9} 7 to 8} Crossbred 4 to 6 5 to 6} Bellies— Good 10} to 16 11 to 13} Low to med. 8 to 10 8 to 10 Crutchings— Good 7| to 1(H 7} to 10} Low to med. 5 to 7 5 to 61