Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1909. AUCKLAND WOOL SALES.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4362, 19 January 1909, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1909. AUCKLAND WOOL SALES.

This above all—to thine own self be true, And it must follow as the night the day Thou canst not then be false to any man Shakespeare.

Vauious causes have been adduced for the disappointing results of the wool sales held in Auckland last week. One reason was the clashing of the Auckland sale with the Christchurch one. Another thing hinted at by gentlemen present at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association was that the buyers had been “ bearing ” the market. Still another reason given was the faulty packing of the wool. It is obviously a great mistake to have the dates of sale so arranged that the Auckland and Christchurch functions should clash, and that such an arrangement should have come about has been a bad thing for Auckland. Mr R. Salmon’s suggestion that Brokers should be asked to fix the dates so as to avoid clashing with Southern sales in future was a very wise one, and we are glad that this suggestion was agreed to by the Executive of the Auckland

Agricultural and Pastoral Association. Auckland, with its comparatively small catalogue, hasn’t a chance if Christchurch is holding a sale at almost the same time with a catalogue nearly three times as large, as is plain to any reflecting person. But when all allowance has been made for the operation of such a cause as this there is no doubt that one considerable factor in bringing about a fall in values at the Auckland sale was the need of better sorting and packing. This is one of the most necessary points to be observed in connection with the building up of a firm local market. It has to be borne in mind that in cases where a grower has but a very small quantity of wool to offer he is under a disadvantage in this respect. But wherever it is possible to have the wool properly sorted and packed it is of primary importanae to have it done. Nothing could be a greater mistake than for a grower to decide that because the uprepared fleeces often sold for as much as the better got up ones, it didn’t pay to skirt properly. Growers have the future to look to, and as in all other businesses, what may not always pay to-day will pay handsomely tomorrow, when a man has won a reputation for offering only first rate stuff. As was pointed out in a leading article which we gave to the subject some time back, American buyers will not look at unskirted wools. Every allowance has to be made for the fact that farmers are at the disadvantage of not thoroughly understanding what is required in the matter ofiwool classing and packing. Mr Dick’s suggestion put forward at the meeting above referred to, that at the Winter Show there should be an exhibit of properly graded wool, with an expert in attendance to explain matters to the farmers was an excellent one, and the setting up of a committee to carry out the proposal shows the desire to profit by the disappointment of last week’s sale. When, by thorough classification, and first rate get up, we have the opportunity of building up a splendid local market, it would be the gravest mistake to throw away such a chance for want of applying the right methods. The" American demand is ours if we bid rightly, by supplying the “ good lots ” which a buyer told our interviewer as reported last week, were difficult to get. With the high duty on wool in America, buyers for that trade must have “ good, bright, wellskirted . ” The American demand is well worth the bidding for, and we are looking forward to encouraging results from the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Associations’ decision to give the growers some help at the Winter Show in the matter of getting up their wool more satisfactorily.