Commercial.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 12 June 1913, Page 4

Commercial.

Hie third series of colonial wool eales for the current year opened on the 22nd May. The following shows the quantities available and tlioso catalogued the first day .-—Fresh arrivals, 389,459 bales; forwarded elsewhere, 227,500 bales; old stock, 25,000; net available, 187,000 bales; catalogued 22nd April, 10,032 bai&«j. Tfie limit of 150,000 bales new ar-

rivals was not reached until the 14bh when the list would have in any caso been closed. As at present arranged the series will continue until the 7th 'May, but the list of sales has been drawn up on the assumption that some 30,000 bales out of the net available quantity of 187,000 will not be offered. There was a fairly large selection on the opening day, the greater proportion of the offerings consisting oi New Zealand wool. Buyers attended in large force, and competition was keen from the Homo and Continental sections of the trade. American representatives were not operating, waiting, no doubt, for a settlement of the tariff. As compared with the closing rates of last sales (March), prices for both merinos and crosshreds show practically no change. Short slipe crossbreds are, if anything, rather dearer, and there is some slight irregularity in the prices paid s for heavy wasty merinos. Beyond "this thore is no alteration to report. The market has heeu quiet since the close of the March sales, and little new business has been in evidence in Bradford, but mills have heen fully occupied, and top makers have sJlown little inclination to lowei their quotations. With heavy arrivals of wool bought in the colonies

e Balkan question' still unsettlei

and. money still dear, especially on the continent (though the reduction of the 'Bank of England rate from o per cent to 4j per cent has caused some relief hero), it would not have been surprising if the present series of sales had shown some signs of u-eakness, especially for crossbred* the Continental yarn trade still be.V »i an unsatisfactory state Another factor which might have tended to lower prices was the short interval between the second and third

.series. It i s therefore all the more satisfactory to be able to report values so woll .maintained, the trade evidently realising that for the rest »f the year .arrivals must be comparatively light.

SHKEPSKINS._At auctions on the 16th and 17th inst., 4G20 bales of Australasian wero offered in addition to 640 bales Punta Arenas. 71^* 61 " were all sold » whilst 8om « l 4,000 bales of Australasian were disposed of. .

Competition was rather slow and prices for Ausrtalian-clothing skins "•ore id to id per lb lower. Australian combing skins wero-generally '•"changed whilst New Zealand cro.v,lireda sold well nt late rates to occnsionally slightly dearer.