COMMERCIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 323, 14 January 1909, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

AUCKLAND WOOL SALES. Uy Telegraph*—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. At the sailea to-day wool generally showed a downward. tendency. the American "buyers withholding .•support, principally on account of the bad getup and faulty packing of the woo]. There was a total catalogue of 7233 bales, the largest sale yet held in Auckland. Prices ranged for crossbred and halfbred from 8y 2 d to 10d, medium crossbred. and Romney 7M>d to !> l / a d, coarse crossbred' and Lincoln 4hL to 7d. inferior and stained 5d to 5%d, lambs' 5V!»d to 8»/ 4 d, and locks and pieces (i;i poor demand) 2<t to «sd. The top oll'-'r of tlie day was 10y 4 d for a ])articularly choice lui'lfbred liue of 20 bales from the Waikat", but this was passed in.

SALE OF COLONIAL PUTTER. MARKET IX A FALSI-; POSITION. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Njght. Messrs. J. A. Lonsdale and Co., of London, the well-known firm of butter merchants, in a business letter written to Messrs. A. S. Paterson and Co., of tlti* city, make some statements regarding the elfect upon prices of butter which has resulted from the Australian practice of consigning whole shipments of butter for sale upon commission in preference to selling them in advance to butter-dealers. The practice has been followed to sonic extent in New Zealand, and the letter is intended to convince, dairymen and others that their interests would bo served best by i straight-out sales. The firm -tates that ' never in fits experience has it known the butter market to be in such aji absolutely false position ;i> it was at the time of writing (some six weeks ago), and by way *»f explanation the letter attributes the povtiui to the fact that '"so-called purely commission firm* had no interest in the trade other than to sell consignments as quickly as possible." The result was that the market was never considered l>y these receivers. It was a case of helter-skel-ter to sell at any price, «nd the owners

"paid the piper." The firm's letter, in conclusion, states: "This method of con«igiw,ng must at all times be a great disadvantage to 'the butter market generally, <ii|il we must certainly take ?t Into consideration i" future operation* by making sure that people on sljle Imto " sufficient Interest in th's make at least some at■the ma. Elapse. otherwise tempt to .• ~ (j,,,,,.,, will he very utipurchase at aj' „ Jjonsdnle and Co.'s safe." It is Alessin. billopinion that instead o. . twt (so)m , ter having been at W4» I- „ o rwl!<on six weeks ago) there . whatever save the swamping o. * nurket bv "purvlv commission selii » whv 114s 'should not have been obtained.