WOOL STATISTICS AND PROSPECTS.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 240, 4 February 1888, Page 8

WOOL STATISTICS AND PROSPECTS.

The closing prices of the colonial wool sales, which ended in December last, showed a recovery upon the temporary fall in values which had taken place since the September — October sales. Indeed the prices realised at the last mentioned sales were in some cases exceeded in December. The Amtra. lasian of December 17th, in dealing with the position of the wool trade, and the prospects for the present season, quotes some very encouraging figures. It appears that out of 169,000 bales catalogued 160,000 bales have been sold, of which 93,500 bales have beenboughtfor the continent, and I,soo bales for America. The remainder, or 40 per cent, of the whole, was purchased for the home trade. There is held over for future disposal about 10,000 bales, a quantity unusually small, 32,000 bales having been held over at the close of 1886, and 18,000 bales at the close of 1885. Upon these factSjOurcontemporaryremarka : "Thesmall quantity of wool bold over, coupled with the fact that nearly 10^,000 bales of the new Australian clip has already been sold in London, makes tho statistical position a great deal more favourable than could reasonably have been expected a few months ago. Of the 100,000 to 120,000 bales which the principal local authorities on wool estimate as the probable increase ! in the supply from Australasia during the | present season about 50,000 bates, in round numbers, have already gone- into consumption. The increased production of the : present season, therefore, will probably be found to be distributed over two> wool aea : sons in Europe." Allowing that the increase in production this season amounts to 120,000 bales, the wool produced by Australasia for the last three seasons may be stated in round numbersasfollows : —1885-6, l,20Q;000 bales ; 1886-7, 1,200,000 bales ; 1887-8, 1,320,000 bales. But as it is estimated that 97,000 bales of the new clip has been included in the European supplies lot 1837 against only 64,000 bale* of new clip included in the European supplies for 1886,. coupled with the fact of the small amount above mentioned held aver from the last sales compared with the quantity in hand at the same period of 1886, it is considered more than probable that a large poibion of the 1887-8 cliphas al ready gonemto consumption. The consumption ot Australasian wool in Europe for the past three- years is estimated as follows : — BAtKS. 1886 UBO.OOO 1887 1.240,000 1888 1,280,000 These figures are based upon the estimated increase of 120,000 bales in the production for the season of 1887-8. In a circular from Messrs Dalgety and Co., figures are given showing an increase for 1887 in the exports of Australasian wool,, up to the end of October, of about 75,000 bales compared with the exports of 1886 up to the same date. According to. Mr H. H. yon Eicken's annual review, dated Buenos Ayres, September 30th, there has been a decrease amounting to 18*130 bales in the quantity of wool exported from Buenos Ayres for tho season 1886-7 as compared with the amount exported up to the same date the previous season, which latter was 25,467 bales below the exports for the season of 1884-5. This shows a decrease in the two years of 43,000 bales, the total quantity of wool exf orbed from Buenos Ayres for the seasons 884-5, 1885-6, and 1886-7 being respectively 287,843 bales, 262,376 bales, and 244,246 bales. The decrease upon the whole River £i»te clip is . estimated at about 20,000 bales for the -past season. The increase or decrease of the River Plate clip now coming into the market is. only at ! present a matter of conjecture, ; I On the whole the above are fact* which I give every promise that remunerative prices for wool will, be maintained for the ! coming leason, while it ia far from improbable that the year's operation!! may. dote even more brightly than those for 1887 i have done.