COMMERCIAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 20, 22 January 1913, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd. and Reduced, report under date 12th December, 1912, as follows Wool.—The fifth and last series of the year terminated on the 7th hist., no sale being held in the 28th ultimo owing to fog. Of the available quantity of 97,000 bales, about 95,000 bales were disposed of, of which 47,000 bales were taken for the Continent and 1000 bales for America, while some 2000 bales remain on hand. Competition throughout was general and spirited, the Home trade demand being particularly keen, and the Continent operated freely iu fine descriptions. There were but few parcels suited to United States requirements, and these enlisted active bidding from that quarter. Greasy crossbred was in small supply, but of scoured and slipe there was a fair selection. Pieces, bellies, and locks met an exceptionally keen enquiry and realised very full rates, values for lambs- also ruling in sellers’ favour.

As compared with preceding series’ closing rates, the present position of the market may be summarised as follows: Merino super greasy and scoured, 5 per cent higher; medium and inferior scoured, to 10 per cent higher; medium and inferior greasy, 5 to per cent higher. Crossbred fine greasy, 5 per cent higher; medium greasy, 5 to 7 j per cent higher; course greasy, 7i to 10 per cent higher; fine scoured, ,5 per cent higher; medium scoured, 5 to 7 J per cent higher; coarse scoured unchanged; fine slipe, 5 per cent higher; medium slipe 5 to 7i per cent higher; coarse slipe, 7* to 10 per cent higher. Lambs, merino, 5 to 7i per cent higher; crossbred, 5 per cent higher. Reports from the principal manufacturing centres both at home and abroad indicate that business in all departments is good, with every prospect of like favourable conditions continuing in the near future; am} in view of the smaller production of the raw material at the present rate of consumption the possibility of any giving way in values appears to be remote.

A few particulars concerning au un fortunate drowning accident at Pu rangi, are reported on page 2.

There is a probability that the special meeting of the Borough Council this evening will be postponed, as several councillors are unable to attend, and Mr E. C. Robinson, who was to have been present at the meeting, is at Whangamomona at the meeting of the Whangamomona County Council.

One of the latest things the beauty specialist of Mayfair undertakes to do is to manufacture a dimple. The fascination addition costs anything from lOgns upwards for the “permanent” feature, for it appears that the transitory dimple can be supplied for a guinea or so, but this will not stay in evidence for more than a week! The other one is a somewhat more serious matter, for it means removing a small portion of flesh, which can be done by a dimple-maker, who is a surgeon to boot.

At Bathurst (N.S.W.) the Very Rev. Father O’Reilly, president of St. Stanislaus’ College, told a good story concerning himself. ‘Once when I was present on the late Bishop Camidge’s invitation at a garden party at Bishops Court, following on the Anglican Synod,” he said, “I vyas speaking to a well-known medico in the midst of a crowd on the lawn, when I became aware that a photographer was about to ‘take,’ in a group, the clerical and lay members of the synod. Naturally, I decided to retire for the moment, but one wag of a medico said that this was unnecessary as I could stand behind him. This* I innocently did. Just as the photographer was uncovering his lens, the doctor ‘ducked,’ and I appeared in due course in a Sydney paper as a member of the Synod. A month later I was in SvdMary’s remarked to me that I had a ney an d a clerical friend at St. ‘double’ among the Bathurst Anglican clergy. I said, ‘Really?’ ‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘I have never seen so close a resemblance.’ As I was unwilling to bring my orthodoxy into suspicion, I followed'the matter no further.”