Auckland Sales.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 225, 15 January 1910, Page 5

Auckland Sales.

The second Auckland wool sales of the I 1909-10 series were held on Wednesday last, when a splendid auction of the golden fleece resulted. There was a total offering of 6378 bales, only a few hundred less than the record offering at the November sales, and the prices realised for all classes of wool showed a substantial increase over 1 the satisfactory rates which prevailed at the opening sales of the season. Proceedings were opened at nine a.m., and continued until five p.m., and were watched thoroughout the day by an interested crowd of spectators, representing both pastoral and commercial interests.

The market opened firm, although spirited bidding did not commence until the full bench of buyers from England, America and the Continent, with whom were associated local speculators, had warmed to their tasks. An appreciable improvement was manifest in the demand for medium and low crossbreds, also a substantial advance in lambs' wool and pieces. Ordinary crossbred wools were decidedly the most keenly contested, arid in view of the fact that this wool largely predominates in this province, the rise in values is of special concern to Auckland growers. Bradford buyers were particularly keen upon securing crossbred lots. The American representatives found very little of the lighter classes of wool, which are suitable for the requirements of the United States, but when any extra fine lines were under offer their bidding was forceful. Pieces and lambs' wool were in great demand for France, where the shorter staple wools are wanted for special manufacturing purposes; One renson for the improved values of pieces, locks, seedy wool, etc., is the introduction of an improved method, known as the carbonised process, whereby extraneous matter can be more effectively eliminated. At no period oC the sale was.there a "lagging" tendency, and bidding was particularly spirited when straight lines were under the hammer, whilst pricei strengthened as the sale progressed. The formerly pronounced trouble of unreasonable reserves was at times.apparent, although the quantity of handed in lots was probably less than 10 per cent. One lot, of 22 bales, for instance, was covered by a reserve of Is, when the broker's vaulation was 10£ d, and although the bidding came within an ace of the latter figure a sale was not effected. A line of 40 bales crossbred, passed at the November sales at Bd, was quitted at B£d on Wednesday. At this season of the year the condition of the wool is heavier in yolk than in November, and in consequence the average fiecee, is heavier, which fact only adds to the value of the increased prices. Wednesday's realisations were fully a Jd better than the November prices for ordinary crossbred, about Id higher for coarser varieties and logstained wool, and from 1 to IJd better for pieces and bellies.