AUCKLAND WOOL SALES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 65, 17 January 1908, Page 3

AUCKLAND WOOL SALES.

Further Fall in Prices. The second wool sale of the season to be held at Auckland opened at the Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday last. The total number of bales offered was 5055, as compared with 2208 for the corresponding sale of last year. The increase is accounted for by the large number of bales which were passed in at he previous sale in consequence of the fall in price. The sale opened without spirit and from the offering of the first bale it was evident that the demand was greatly below the supply, and a poor sale was a certainty. Nothing was in strong demand and lot after lot was passed in as bidding failed to come up to the demands of the owners. The average decline in prices was from 2d to 3d —in some cases a much greater drop being noticed. It is hard to account for the all round drop in prices, especially as the recent Canterbury sales showed a firmer tone, and prices were rather better than previously. At Napier also, values were* maintained, and the latter sale clashing with 'Auckland may have helped to occasion the noticeable drop at Auckland.

Crossbred wool was selling at the prices offered for locks and pieces last season, ranging from 5d to BHd. Some was sold under sd, but it was stained and not in good condition, while anything over 8d was very good. Good Romney wool averaged Bd, and Shropshire 7d to Bd. The locks and pieces induced fairly good competition, and sold up to 5%d. There was but poor demand for Lincoln wool. The top price of the sale was 9-Md, this being attained in three instances —once for superior halfbred, once for fine crossbred, and once for Southdown ; but the highest bid of the day was for half-bred, that lot being passed in. Messrs A. Buckland and Sons (Mr C. G. Brookes, auctioneer) sold first, offering 1568 bales. The highest price the firm secured was for a line of five bales of fine half-bred wool. The best cross-bred price was B%d, secured in three lines, and this represents a drop of from id to 2d per lb on last sale. Pieces sold better than at tne first sale, realising as high as while stained and cotted wool brought 5d to 6d. The best price for merino was B%d, and this line was passed in. Lamb's wool, however, sold better, realising from (>%& to The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Mr N. Somerfield, auctioneer) followed with 2321 bales, this firm's sale occupying the major portion of the day. It found cross-bred prices ranging from 6%d to for the finer lots. Coarse wools, generally, were found to have declined from per pound, while finer wools went down by to 24d per pound. Messrs G. W. Binney and Sons (Mr E. Binney, auctioneer) came third with 501 bales. The firm secured for a line of four bales of fine Southdown wool, and received the highest offer of the day, namely, lo%d for a choice line of half-bred wool, the lot, however being passed in at this figure. Messrs C. B. Kingswell and Co. (Mr Kingswell, auctioneer) offered 217 bales. The highest price was B%d for good Southdown wool, but fine cross-bred met with good offers considering the state of the market.

The Farmers' Union (Mr Nelson, auctioneer) offered 448 bales, nearly all cross-bred, and the wool met about the same range of prices as quoted. For a small lot of half-bred B%d was secured, and choice crossbred brought BHd-