AUCKLAND WOOL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 167, 14 July 1916, Page 4

AUCKLAND WOOL.

AN EXCELLENT SEASOH. HIGH PRICES AND A STEADT MARKET. EFFECT OF THE EKCEUSH SETTLEMENT. Sri'; The possible effects of tbe ing of the English wool clip b/tielnv ; perial authorities upon prices for colonial wools has been a topic of keen info est amongst local brokers and fanneai for the pact few days. Inquiries' by* "Star" representative to-day went ti show that the news announced by cable, gram that the Government'has'now of-" fered an additional five per cent i£. vance on top of the 30 per cent increttg over the 1914 rates indicates a very fij, settlement. Local opinion inclines to the belief that while some groweienaV . possibly realise lower prices .'than they experienced in 1915, others will beneßt "■ ■' by the prices offered by the Governmentand that on the average the prions -trim* approximately equal to thoee , of; igiji;. and deal very fawly with the eellen. ' '' ! Aβ to its effects upon the prices ruling for colonial wools, there are some "Who believe that the commandeering of the British clip will mean a greater concentration of competition upon Austrtbsaj ' and New Zealand wools which may cave prices to be, fully maintained; if-Hotlin-. creased, but the stronger' body of opinion seems to be that the actionvofr-thi ■ '"'•■■ Imperial authorities will not - affect prices one way or the other. FORTUNATE AUCKLANT).; Looking back over the past wool je»son there can be little doubt th»t,Anckland growers.and brokers have ever? reason to. be highly satisfied experience. If anything, Auckland glowers have been as comptrtd with those in the, South, wherej.fhe woo! sales were subjected tofluctuation. While there have been siderable variations. in prices in other parts/ it has 'so happened that' the fallt in the market have occurred/alnwet'en- , tirely during the intervals between-the' i holding of the Auckland sales.'' Tliis lv - : . been apparent for almost' : tie' 'wibleV ■ period of the war.. In 'the opinion- of I some brokers AucklandVhas. .Wn;^the"■ ":■■' luckiest of the world's market*, "for whereas English and various. colonul. sales have been' subject to yarktione of from 5 to 10 per centoor-_,n r -_, some- wook Auckland has always lighted npon steady advancing prices. While Southern ' sale* had sometimes _ been condncted when the state of the market-wae k temporarily depressed, the figures have generally come back to normafcar nther ; the extremely healthy ; war abnormal— , ■by the time Auckland's turn- came roßttd. . ... NO BIG :ACOTMpMTKara.-;j New Zealand, Auckland partieoUrlr,','''-. has been at an advantage as compared with Australia; in anotherfeepecS, for there has been no big accumulation held over which has had to be disposed of in competition with the woob.of the/. new season. In Australia' at the begin- - ning ■of last season. • the I>ig hold-over of inferior. ■ -wool*'—.' some 200,000 bales—created a eourerif anxiety to the brokers and growers;;' when the season, commenced. .The deV'. maud for these merinos had hitherto been"from Belgium, France and Germany, which markets had been practically elini-' beginpiitj* of the seeion. The only effect in Auckland of the W- , moral of these markets hae been ; a , marked slackening of the demand 'for seedy lambs' wool. Owing to the carbonising plant in the North of France and in Belgium now not being at wbrki there is very little sale for this Idift-'.'".-of wool, which, since the beginning of " : the' war, has been steadily accumulating. . j For some of these-wools at the Auck-V land;,, sales , there .was hot • ■"*■.. bid,," \ and at the last. >Yellington',te»les seedy wool was selling at as low ••«.;- twopence'per pound.' There :hive;beeß, those who, have advocated the. fti?" • ping Home of the. accumulation,.irat -tie.;. likelihood of a similar glut bn-'the'fioa-?' : don market killing the demand made it apparent that this proposal wae not practicable. The only course open seeßf'..' to be to hold it over Until the eond*; sion of the war. However, by compari;:'. son, the problem has not been a eerions one, and against this drawback the Mg increase .in:the .prices for other sorts-haY" been amply compensating. Compsriag the past season's prices with' those ruling during the early period of the w., there has been an increase of as nudj as fivepence to-sixpence a pound on soee - clips. SHIPPIKG AND EMBARGOES. I - In regard to shipping facilities »*k embargoes, the influence of .whjeh las been. felt throughout ■ the eea?bn Aoatralian market, Aucklaad. hpe a|»JB been singularly fortunate. It ii".■W?"-'-.----tbat the second wool sale hid to, be kept back for a month on account of tae shortage of shipping facilities, «ad that the - wool " sent;- iri'. an thfct occasion had to be held" wSr Jej another three weeks until tie available, but this was a compmratiTelJ. slight inconvenience, and merely; &*& delaying the farmers' cheques.' It to**; ; comparable, it is stated, to the dHo**-: tion created by the-shipping proHejn to. Australia or "in other parts: of Ne% Zealand. With regard to the embarf*M, it will be remembered that on the o»----eion of : the first sale of the.eea»on **• u\mericans were in the market, and tt» fear was expressed, when export > rica was forbidden, that Bradford bbjW», ■would have matters all theii-.own-WiJ- ' The demand from other markete, o>r affected by the embargo,; was ataeit; . and only oiie pTit in an- appearance during -thei-teile*., Howefef, it Was found, "at sale, that the market was- as Jjxm M ever, and that even higher prices-mW for some wools. ■ ■ .-' . ;