THE LONDON COLONIAL WOOL SALES.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 13, Issue 686, 27 May 1869, Page 3

THE LONDON COLONIAL WOOL SALES.

The first series of colonial wool sales of the year, which commenced on the 25th February, terminated on March 24. According to the circular of Messrs Southey, Balme & Co : —"During the entire course of the sales the market has been fairly, if • not numerously, attended, by representatives of all sections of the manufacturing trade, nor has the competition been altogether devoid of a certain amount of anmation. The observance, however, of a strictly cautious policy on the part of buyers was from the first clearly noticeable, and indicated plainly a determination to purchase only upon conditions involving some concession on previously established rates. The decline, which in the first instance was principally limited to Australian wools, and varied during the early sales (as far as the character of the wool will admit of comparison with the rates of November) from id to Id per ft, became, with the progress of the series, more and more decided, and extending to all descriptions, settled at a later period into a general reduction of l£d to 2d per lb, thus bringing the range of quotation to a point very closely verging upon those of the most depi'essed portion of the August September sales of 1868. Towards the conclusion of the series the biddings were perhaps characterised by somewhat lesa irregularity, though the closing prices give no evidence of any appreciable chango in value."

[FROM MESSB3 HUGHE3 AND SON.] New Zealand. —W e have had but little to offer, with the exception of that held over from last year. This description was scarce, and in good demand; the greasy sorts have sold at an advance on really good wool, suitable for combing, of Id per lb, while scoured, owing to the quantity of other colonial wool in same condition, suffered some decline.