SALE ABANDONED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26637, 6 December 1947, Page 3

SALE ABANDONED

FIRST OFFERING OF WOOL AT GISBORNE

GROWERS’ ALTERNATIVE P.A. GISBORNE, Dec. 5. Gisborne’s first scheduled wool sale was abandoned this morning because the buyers did not attend. The whole catalogue was withdrawn. “ We are prepared to hold the sale, but in view of the fact that no buyers were present we had no alternative but to withdraw the whole catalogue,” said Mr K. B. Garland, chairman of the Gisborne Wool Brokers’ Association, in a statement from the, stage at the Opera House. He was addressing the large gathering of growers who had assembled in the auction room. Although Joint Organisation representatives were present and were apparently prepared to bid floor price's, the brokers agreed that there was no point in opening the selling in the absence of competition. The abandonment of the sale was fairly generally expected in view of the wool buyers’ opposition to coming to Gisborne, but farmers were disappointed. The catalogue comprised 20,883 bales, including 17,000 bales of the new seasons’ clip. The growers now have the alternative of sending the wool to Napier for sale later in the season, or shipping the clips to London for sale. - An assurance has been given that shipping space will be allotted for wool consigned to England on the growers’ account. “ The association does not at this stage intend to enter into a press controversy with the buyers’ association as this would not further the interests of the district,” says a statement issued by the Gisborne Wool Brokers' Association to-day. “ Naturally, the brokers together with the growers are disappointed that their efforts to establish Gisborne sales did not come to fruition and further efforts are now being made towards this end.”