H.B. Wool Rises

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 69, 8 April 1937, Page 4

H.B. Wool Rises

2|d TO 3d BETTER Record Clearances Effected BACK-COUNTRY CLIPS Wool at Napier to-day showed a general rise of from 2^d. to 3d. per lb. on the rates made at the February offering. The sharp rise in prices at the Wellington sale on Saturday more than held, with fleece wool being fullly finm and prices definitely dearer, The competition was not quite so widespread as at the February sale, in which Bradford predominated. The - first three catalogues saw a total clearance under the Hammer— -a performance that has not been recorded for some years. The sellihg was quite ahimated, and was followed with considerable interest by the large attendance of growera . and otherS interested, Those growers who were excluded from the eariier offerings showed an air Of satisfaction at their gain of 3d. per lb. for many types. From the outset the sale proceeded with a good steady swing. Excifciug SceUes on the part of the .buyers were not so frequont as at the February sale, their limits being much more elastic, There was a tendency on the part of some to Wait and see what others would give, indicating that they were not anxious to pay the greatly inoreased values nnless obliged to do so. The freedom of the bidding was evidenced by the frequency of ld. and 4d. bids for lines of lambs, pieces and necks. To-day 's offering of 21,000 bales consisted largely of the balance of clips and back-country lots. Many lines were badly touched with seed, and except for a few early-shorn lots that were shut out of the previous allocations owing to delay in shearing operatjons, much of the lambs' wool was a little longer grown than usual. The good-style lines, however, sold readily,

makmg from 19|d. to 20|d, The top price f or the flrst three cfttaIqgues was 20|d., for a fine line of AA lambs nnder the well-known brand of Rangitapu. Second-grade lambs made from 16d. to I8*d., the latter price being offered for six bales from Clareinch, a well-known coast station* Buyer's Comment, Fleece wools generally rattged from 17d. to I9*d. Some amnsement • was caused whefl an auctioneer, in trying to get a bid, asked if it was l5d. "There are no 15d, bids for ffeeces now," remarked a front-row buyer. The starting bid in this particular case was 17d. As in eariier saies some of the lower grades sold better than the better ones. In.iseveral clips B fleeces sold as Well and better than A fleeces, v^iile the 0 would be practically on the same level to a farthing better. Coarse fleeces made much better selling than the finer lots, and for these the Bradford operators were kept fully extended by a German buyer who has lifted large quantities of wool at Napier this season. Many large lines of floece wool were knocked down to him, in addition to many other types. Bids were frequently above the level of the values held by many of - the buyers, with the result that a chorus of whistles followed the selling of a lot. Good necks ranged from 16Jd. to 18$d., the latter flgure being obtained by a well-grown line from a coast clip. Lincoln cross wools, which sold SO well in February, again made big values when lines greatly lacking the quality of those offered at the last sale brought 18Jd. Crutchings also featured in the improved* prices, making up to 16d. Yery few lines failed to make double flgures, and these applied to a few inferior lots df locks which ranged from 7fd to 9Jd, While the better sorts mado from lOJd to ll^d. The Napier [Woollen Mills outbid the opposition for several lots of locks and oa one occasion .a Bradford buyer who was in the bidding remarked, "It i» no use: I can't catck him. " « Tahu necke, exceptionally well grown, iopped the market during the eariier selling at 19id, while the first pieces under the same brand made 17id. A inixed line of necks and pieces drew a loud chorus of whistles when it made 19R Southdown wool did not participate in the same strong selling and the best sought offered, whieh were of only ordinary quality, made to 19d. Poolled wool attraoted keen bidding to providc the best selling in the various catalogues under this classificatiOn. Halfbred A made 19Jd and B l9Jd, B fleeced 19$d, C 19d, X-bd I9fi, A cotB 184d, dead A pieces 17id, A necks 18id, A lambs I9d, B lambs T8$d, A and B crutchings I5d, bellies 14d and broken fleece 15id, The interlotted lines showed equally with the biuned wools in the strong bidding, making to 20d for croasbreds, while lines heavily touched with seed brought to 17id. Cotted Lines Sell Well. Another feature of the sale was the strong selling of cotted lines. Several of these lots made 18$r. In one case a line of exactly the same quality made 14£d at the February sale, which was then regatded as being a good sale. From the Kereru distriet a wellknown line of ewe fleeces made for A 19d, B l9d, and D 18d. The first lambs made 19£d, and the first pieces 16-Id. From the high country at the back of Kereru, an improving clip, rather heaVy in condition and dull, made for A fleeces 18£d, B IS^d, 0 18jd, cots I74d, 1st lambs 17fd, seeond lambs 17d. From the Wairoa distriet an average quality clip made for AA hoggets, oue of the few lines of the sale, 19$d. From

the same clip the ewe fleeces ranged from 17|d to 18 Jd, ( From the Dannevirke distriet was an excellent, • bright super-quality clip, well-grown, lustrous and high-yielding made to 20id for its ewe fleece, none Of Which sOld below 19|d. The AA hoggets from this noted clip made 20Jd. From under the Blowhard range, a •rather rough style ewe fleecq brought I8id. At 12.45 the. buyers elected not to adjourn for lunch and continued on with the selling, finishing shortly after 1.30. The values obtained during the eariier catalogues were fully m;iintained to the end. The top price for the sale was 22d. for a line of (scoured crossbred. The best price for greasy wool was 2l4d., for a line of A hogget, pooled and classiiled by the Hawke's Bay Farrners' Co-operative Association Ltd. In the same catalogu-e a line of A hoggets, under the brand of BH over Okaihau, from Mhraetotara, made 21^d. and a line of three-quarter-bred hoggets brought 2ld. Prices quoted for Lincoln-cross wool were improved upon, when a pooled line, which was well got Up, made th© excellent price of 21£d. Pooled Lincoln brought 19$d, The catalogues included very little half-bred wool, the best -price being 20id. for a line of AA. Only six bales were passed in the whole offering, which Constituted a record clearance. To-day 's sale makes a very satisfactory wind-up to the present wool Beason. When shipping arrangements are completed some of the stores will not contain one bale of wool, it being several years since such a position obtained. Mr. E. Riekard, manager of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd. 's wool department for Hawke's Bay, took his stand in the auctioneer 's box for the first time today, when he was warmly applauded by the buyers. Mr. Rickard has, for a number of years, occupied the buyers' benches as the representative of 1 one o.f the leading Bradford flrms.