HIDES FALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 December 1920, Page 5

HIDES FALL.

MARKED DROP IN PRICES LOWEST FOR MANY YEARS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Stratford, Last Night. There was a sensational drop in prices at the hide and skin Bale held in Strat'' ford to-dayi the prices obtained being lower than they have been for many years. ' That there would be a substantial drop on the high prices realised at sales held earlier in the year was quite expected, but the big slump today was a surprise to everyone. To-day's sale was the first held in Stratford since the commandeer has been lifted, and the slump in prices is stated to be due to a world-wide surplus of hides and the tightness of the money market. The sale wag held in the Forresters' Hall, and there were nine hide buyers present, but only two were operating in sheep-skins, both of whom were New Zealand fellmongers. The slump in the market can be indicated by 'the following comparisons of to-day's prices with those realised last March, when they reached practically their highest point:— Washed abattoir cow hides, averaging 331bs to 481bs weight, to-day's price from 5%d to 6%d per lb compared with 21% dto 22d in March. Washed abattoir ox hides, averaging 47 to 64lbs weight, OJd to lid compared with 22jd to 24d. Farmers' cow hides (sound), 291-bs to 331b s weight, 5d to 5Jd compared with 20d. Farmers' cow hides (dirty and slippy), 30 to 391bs, Id to 3d compared with fid to 7d. Other cow hides (very slippy and inferior), %i to Id lb. Bull hides (heavy), 2d lb. No bids were received for yearling hides, which realised up to 25d in March. Calf skins, 3| to 41bs weight, realised from lOd to lOJd' compared with 48% d per lb in March. Sound, 51bs weight, IOJd compared with 46d. Cut, 4$ lbs, 5d compared with 45d. Fleshy (dirty and slippy), 2Jd compared with 31d. Fleshy, 6%d compared with 40d to 47d. Cut and slippy, 2d compared with 2fly B d. Calf skins (dry), fid each. The following prices were realised for sheep skins: Crossbred, short, faulty pelt l|d per lb. Quarter to half wools (slight faulty to sound), pelt 2d per lb. Half wool (sound| 2|d. Three-quarters (sound) 3Jd per lb. Full wool (sound) 3Jd, ' Hoggets, half to three-quarter wool, 3»2d per lb. Abattoir crossbred three-quarter wool (medium), 3'/»<l peri jib. Ditto (fine to medium), 4d per lb,j [ or an average of 4/- per ukin, compared i with 12/- to 14/- in March. Coarse I crossbred 3Jd per lb, or an average of; 3/9 per skin compared with 14/- to 15/in March. Dry abattoir pelts realised 4ct per lb to-day compared with from 1/C to 2/tt under the commandeer. Salted sheep skins: Abattoir crossbred, which brought from 3/9 to 5/each to-day, realised from 12/6 to 10/under the commandeer; pelts, 1/3 today, sold for 2/0 under commandeer; and salted lambs, 1/- to-day, sold from 3/- to 5/- under the commandeer The tallow market is also lifeless, and butchers' tallow realised only from 20/to 22/- cwt to-day, as compared with 41/- to 67/- in March. The above prices are those at which the hides and skins were sold to-day. In most cases the vendors had placed reserve prices much in excess of those quoted above, but when they realised the state of the market they agreed to sell.

NEW PLYMOUTH SALE. SIMILAR CONDITIONS MET. The conditions existing at Stratford apply to a sale held at New Plymouth .yesterday, a very marked fall in prices characterising the sale, and coriipetition being restricted. The principal fall was in sheep-skins, which dropped from the commandeer price of 15/- to 15/0 to the low figure of 4/6, and other lines fell in proportion. EXPORT TO, BE FREE REMOVAL OF RESTRICTIONS'.' By TeleEraph.—Press AasoclatW. Wellington, Last Night. . Cabinet has decided to remove completely the restrictions on the export of hides from New Zealand. The restrictions have not been operating to any extent for some time past.