WOOL PRICES UP.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 December 1922, Page 5

WOOL PRICES UP.

RECORD MADE FOR MERINO. SALE AT CHRISTCHURCH. KEEN COMPETITION. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. The sale, which was the second of the seaa record price for New Zealand was established for merino wool. Thirty-eight bales (“Craigloehart” brand, Blenheim) sold at 283 d, and 39 bales at 243 d. Local mills were the purchasers. The sale, which was the sale of the season, comprised 18,434 bales. The catalogue was a remarkably good one, the wool generally being well conditioned, and in the absence of dry, hot weather, it was freer from seed and earth than usual. The selection covered all grades. There was some choice merino forward, and some of the most notable halfbred and Corriedale clips in the province were also catalogued. Keen sales eventuated, competition being particularly spirited by local mills for all fine wools. Bradford buyers secured the lion’s share of the three-quarter-bred and crossbred wools, and Continental buyers a proportion of the lower grades. Fellmongering lots participated in the advance, local mills entering the lists for finer lots. Compared with the November sale, merino was up by IJd to 2d per lb, halfbred 13d to 2d, three-quarter-bred ijd to 2d, crossbred 13d to 2d, pieces, locks and bellies Id to 24d. Whilst Home buyers found merino wools somewhat in the air for them, they were all to the fore for all halfbred wools. The great bulk of this class averaged between 18d and 22d, and very few lots made below 16d. Operators on American account did not appear to be liberally equipped with orders, though they were in the market for 46-50 wools. The range of values was: Merino, super 233 d to 273 d, medium 21d to 23Ad, inferior 184 d to 204 d; halfbred, super 213 d to 254 d, medium 19d to 213 d, inferior 13Z-.1 to 183 d;. Cotriedale, super 22d to 263 d, medium 18d to 214 d; Down, super to 24d, medium 17d to 20d; three-quarter-bred, super 15d to 203 d, medium 123 d to 14|d, inferior BAd to 12d; medium crossbred, super 12d to 15d, medium lOd to 113 d, inferior 83d to 9|d; coarse crossbred, super 9?d to lid, medium BJd to 9Ad, inferior 7d to 83d; merino pieces. 14d to 22$d; three-quarter-bred pieces 15d to 223 d; seconds, halfbred pieces. 8d to 14d; locks, merino 74d to liid, halfbred 63d to llAd, crossbred 4d to 63d : bellies, Corriedale and halfbred, lOd to 15-}d; crutchings, halfbred 6d to 9jd, crossbred to 6-Ad.