THE WOOL SALES

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 29 January 1908, Page 23

THE WOOL SALES

LONDON, January 21.. Tie wool sales opened, brisk at pait to 5 per cent, decline.

January 22. At -the wool sales 7074 "bales were offered, chiefly merinos. There was a splendid attendance and keen competition. Best merino was very firm, with a hardening tendency. Top« making sorts were unchanged, and very faulty 5 per cent, "below December sales. A small selection of croEsbrcds was 5 per cent, cheaper., and merino lambs * halfpenny dearer. There wes keen competition for all qualities at full opening rates

January 23. The -wool sates were postponed owing to fog. The Kaiwaira clip realised 9Jd. January 24.

At the wool sales merinos and best cros6breds were keenly competed for. Faulty sortß w«re slightly in buyers' favour.

January 26.

At the -wool eales prioes are firm and unchanged. To date 31,091 bales have been catalogued, and 28,989 sold. The sales included the Pareora clip at Bfd, Tamala 94d, Timata lOJd, and Gear 10|d. SYDNEY, January 21. The wool sales reopened to-day. Prices for all good sorts were about equal to those at the closing sales in December. Inferior quality dragged, and greasy sold at up to 13d

INVERCAKGILL "WOOI* SALES. (Fbom; Ou» Own Cobbespootent.) INVEBCABGfiX, January 27. The first of the season* wool sales was held to-day in the "Victoria Hall, when there was an excellent attendance of buyers, and competition, =waß very teen, -even for star lots. The -total offered was 12,590 bates, and of these about one-dfourfh waß passed in. The prices oTxfcaincd considering "the present state of Uie nwrlwt," were, -taken all zonaa* vati*

factory. Growers d better class wool -were prepared for a drop in lasi year's values, and were, on the Vjihole satisfied with the prices offered-. The wool generally was strong in staple and Bound, but for the most part heavy in grease, and in many cases growers obtained in weight what they lost \n price. As an instance of this one "vendor who disposed of 50 bales stated that he had half a ton more weight in them than in an equal number sold last year. A peculiarity of the sale ivas the irregularity of the bidding, lots in some cases realising far above expectations, ■while others went far below. In comparison •with the main sale star lots so.d to advantage. The class of wool which suffered most in comparison with last year's sales was coarse crossbred, while there was* also a noticeable drop in crossbred pieces, for which there was very little demand. Hogget wool commanded most attention, and the competition for this was exceedingly keen. There was bleo an excellent demand for fine crossbred, which realised fis high as Hid, this price being fully up 'to expectations. Very little merino was offered, the few bales disposed of realising' from. 7Jd lo lOJd. The top price obtained wa9 for balfbred, which ranged from Bid to ll^d. .JFine crossbred realised 9d to Hid, medium 7d to Sid, and inferior 5Jd to GJd. Several buyers expressed the opinion, that, taking the character of the wool into consideration, the sale was in advance of the one held recently in Dunedin.

WELLINGTON, January 23. A cable from the High Commissioner, dated January 22, states: — "The wocQ Bales .have. commenced. There is active competition, except for heavy and inferior classes, which are id lower than the prices quoted at the closing of the last sties."

The National Mortgage and Agency Company (Ltd.) is in receipt of a cable from its London office, dated 21st of January, as follows: — "January wool sales: Merinos and fine crosebreds opened firm on a par with closing rates at the November series. There was a large attendance of buyers. Crossbreds, medium and ooarse, opened weak on a par with closing rates at the November series."

Messrs Dalgety and Co. (Ltd.) -report having received tie following cable from head office, dated London, January 21: — "Wool sales opened; large attendance of buyers. Competition animated, fair selection. As compared with closing rates of last series, all good merino wool prices are fully maintained. Burry wool is 6 per cent, tower. Crossbred wools: Any change in prices is in favour of buyers." The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Ltd.) are in receipt of the following cable advice from its London office reg-asrdittg the opening ni the -fiist series of wool sales: — "Sales .opened at level of last sales, except that market for merino faulty is easier. Since the close of the last sales, prices for crossbred slipe are par to Jd per lb lower."