SPIRITED DEMAND

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 713, 13 December 1933, Page 5

SPIRITED DEMAND

(Press Assn.-

KEEN COMPETITION FOR ALL FINER CLASSES * AVERAGE £17 A BALE

— By Telegraph — Copyright).

Christchurch, Tuesday At the first Christchurch w.ool sale 25,000 bales were offered: The sale openeid with prices itearly double those of last Deceipiber.Bellies and pieces were up more thjan 100 per cent. Crossbred fleece was slightly easier than at Auckland, but the Auckland rates were exceeded in finer wools, meeting the spirit of competition. In the first catalogue the best priee was 2'5id for f our bales of ' Riydal Downs'. Corriedale hogget wooL The Continerit hid strong;ly for hellies and pieces. The competition for finer wools came from a wide circle of huyerS! The' Continent sought quality wool bf a short type, miainly for specialty orders. 'Pieces, bellies and necks sold far in advance of brokers' expectationS. tSuper fleece lots were keenly sought, particularly by Japan, by local mills, and to lesser extent by 'Bradford. It was an excellent sale all. round. Coarse wools were from lad to 12d per lb lower thian at Auckland last month', but the wool was heavier and the basis of actual values was only slightly lower. Half-bred wool, of which the Christchurch sale is the first to haVe any great quantity, was quitted at prices -exceeding the most sanguine expectations of brokers. Corriediale Record Occasionally farmers set their reserves too high, and passings over the first two catalogues represented seven percentage of those offering. The 25id for Rydal Downs Corriedale was a record since the boom years here, and |d lower than the top price, for the Waiheke clip realised at Auckland. The sale opened on a spirited note with 9d for five bales of threequarterbred, the priee running rapidly to 10 id before selling to Bradford. When the half-bred wool came up the first six bales went for 17|d. The 'limits of the Continental buyers appeared fairly elastic, and they were extended on many occasions. There was great competition for pieces, crutchings and bellies, which brought prices comparatively better than fleece wool rates. In the early part of the sale France refused to be outbid for these sorts, and half-bred pieces .brought up to 18|d. Japan Wants Super Bradford took n. falr am-ount of average quality at 15£d to 17id, and Japan, in competition for super lots, pushed local mills to prices which now and again brought surprised looks from the rest of the buyers. United States buyers were little in evidence. The average price per lb is expected to be about 13d, compared with 6.95d per lb ia.verage at the four Christchurch saies last season. On to-day's prices the value per bale is about £17, compared with £9 12s per bale last season. At £17 a bale the cheque for this sale should be £425,000. The Best Prices The best prices up till noon were: Merino, 19|d. Corriedale, 25|d; halfbred, 21 id; threequalrter-bred, 17d; crossbred, 13|d. Bellies and pieces: Merino, 17^d; hialfbred, 19d; Corriedale-, 18id; crossbred, 5|d; crutchings, 8id; locks, 81d.