THE WOOL MARKET.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 February 1922, Page 5

THE WOOL MARKET.

SALE AT CHRISTCHURCH. VARIATION OF PRICES. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. The third Christchurch wool sale was held to-day, 18,000 bales being catalogued. The offering was of a representative character. There was a bigger showing of station clips than at the last sale, but the quality was scarcely so good, the wool containing more seed than'usual. The sale was disappointing, there being, with one or two exceptions, a decline varying from par to lid per lb. Fine quality wools were principally affected. Merinos were down on the January rates by Ad to Id, and medium halfbred and Corriedale by Ad to l|d. Super threequarter bred sold well, and quite maintained the January rates, there being good outside competition. Medium crossbred all sold satisfactorily, but low crossbred still realised disappointing figures. Good merino pieces sold well, but half bred pieces were down by Id to lid on the January rates. All medium scouring sorts were easier.

In the first half of the catalogue about 15 to 20 per cent, of the offering was passed, but there was freer sale later. A factor in the easier fine wool demand was the restricted competition of local mills. Fewer New Zealand buyers were operating, and these concentrated mostly on choicest? merino. Competition in halfbreds was confined mostly to Bradford and American buyers, and the Home representatives secured the -bulk of the crossbred wools.

The range of prices was as follows: Merino super, 15d to 18|d; medium, 12Jd to 14|d; inferior, 10}d to 12Jd; halfbred super, 14d to 16id; medium, 10id to 13$d; inferior, 7d to 10£d; Corriedale super, 13 Ad to 15Ad; medium, 9d to 13d; three-quar-ter-bred super, 9£d to 14id; medium, 7id to 93d; inferior, 5d to 6id; medium crossbred, super, 7d to 9}d; medium, 5Jd to 6id; inferior, 43d 1 to 5-Ad; coarse crossbred super, 5Ad to 6|d; medium, 4Jd to sid; inferior, 3|d to 4id; merino pieces, first lOd to 15id, second, 7d to 9£d; halfbred pieces, first 7sd to 10id, second 5d to 7id; crossbred pieces, 2Ad to sid; locks, 2d to 43d; crutohings, 3d to 4id.