AUCKLAND WOOL SALES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 522, 30 November 1912, Page 5

AUCKLAND WOOL SALES.

HIGH PRICES REALISED. A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE. The first wool sale of this season in the Auckland district was held in the concert chamber of the Town Ha'l on Wednesday. The results were almost phenomenal. Reports from London show that the market demand for wool is greater than the supply, and prices are buoyant in consequence. Wednesday's sales vvera transacted at prices averaging from to 3d higher than those obtained at last November sales. The sale was certainly the best that has been held in Auckland for very many years. The catalogues were the largest yet offered in the city, and the demand has probably not been keener. Although fine wools have been disposed of at higher prices, the general average was unusually high. It is not possible to make an exact estimate of the value of the increase, but tha notable feature of the sale was the large proportion of wools sold at lOd and 10£ d per pound. The increased prices, the better quality of the wools offered, and the larger catalogues, represent a very large increase in the total value of the goods disposed of. Last November there was a large amount of wool sold at approximately 7d to 7£d, and taking the average weight of a bale as 3001b, the rough value of each bale was £lO. There were sold 6200 bales, making roughly a total value of £62,000. The average value per bale on Wednesday was, as nearly as could be judged, not less than £l3, so that the total value of the lot was about £107,900, almost 75 per cent, more than the amount realised last November. Altogether 8309 bales of wool were offered, and a remarkable clearance was effected. Virtually the whole lot was sold under the hammer. Generally the quality of the offerings was above the average, the wool being clean and light owing to the wet winter. A further element tending to improve prices was the better classification apparent. The top price of the market was 14d, which was obtained by Messrs A. Buckland and Sons for a line of 11 bales of halfbred merino sold on behalf of Messrs Gray Bros., of Waiheke. The top price for crossbreds was 13d, obtained by Messrs G. W. Binney and Sons for Mr W. Duder, Maraetai, for well-grown wool, light in grease. The general run of prices was as follows: —Medium halfbred lOfd to 11-fd, fine crossbred 12d to 12|d, medium crossbred IOJd to llfd, coarse crossbred SJd to lOd, first picees 7d to B|d, locks 4Jd to 5Jd.