THE WOOL SALES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 23

THE WOOL SALES.

LONDON, March 1. The Economist estimates that the wool importers of Europe and America lost fully £2,600,000 on the wool bought in Australia from July to December la6t. CHRISTCHURCH, February 25. j The fifth and last wool sale of this season's series of local wool sales was held to-day, when 2020 bales were offered. There was a small attendance of buyers, nearly all of whom were local men. For the few lots of merino and for any good halfbred there was fair competition up to a certain limit, but in the case of the haifbreds prices were much below the level of the previous sale. For crossbreds, and especially for inferior sorts, there was an improved demand at rather better prices than those obtained at the previous sale. A considerable proportion of the mill lots was passed in, but the star lots were more briskly competed for by the local fellmongers, and were mostly sold. The range of prices was: — Medium merino, 8d to 9^d ; inferior, 6£d to 7£d ; medium halfbred, 8d to 9id ; inferior, 6^d to 7Jd ; threequarter bred 4|d to 6jd ; medium crossbred, 6d ta 7Jd inferior, 4Jd to s|d : medium crossbred, 6d to 7jd ; inferior, 4|d to 5Jd. Down wool, 7d to 8d ; long wool, 4id to 6|d ; lambs wool, 2d to 6d ; mcrno pieces, 6id to 7d ; halfbred pieces, 5d- fo 6sd; crossbred pieces, 2|d to lid; locks ljd to 4-d. TIMARU, February 27. The final wool sale was held to-day. Thero was a small attendance, and tho buyers were mostly local ones. Competition was slack, but the bulk of the small catalogue was cleared. First halfbred realised 7j|d to B£d ; second and three-quarter-bred. 6Jd to 7d; crossbred, 6£d to 7id ; eotted and dead, 4Jdto s£d : bellies and pieces, 3id to sd ; locks, 3d to 3£d.