RECORD SALE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 9, 11 January 1934, Page 8

RECORD SALE.

WELLINGTON WOOL. PRICES SOAR AGAIN. ] SELLERS AND BUYERS EXCITED. BETTER THAN NAPIER. j \ (By Telegraph.—Tress Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. i The second Wellington wool sale which j opened in the Town Hall to-night far cxcceded the most sanguine expectations ] of growers and brokers. A year ago there seemed to be 110 bottom to the J market, but to-night prices soared. Buyers were present in full force, bent , on having wool at all costs. Everything j offered was sold, not a single bale being , passed in out of the total o* about 13,000 - bales offered. , Densely-packed galleries followed the sale spelibound, and even waiting brokers , and others of the trade on the main floor i applauded at times. ; France and Germany forced the pace, ] with the selling generally very well spread. Prices were anything from 2d to , 5d above those ruling at the December • 6ale at Wellington, and in very many ( cases Id to 2d better than at Napier last , Saturday. Wellington has never before seen such , a sale. In the light of values that have j ruled during the last three or four seasons the prices cheerfully paid to-night appeared sensational. They frequently drew loud whistles from buyers, and occasional bursts of applause. The Town • Hall was packed with the greatest gallery of spectators it has ever held. The crowd filled every seat, and hundreds were standing. When the gallery would hold no more the main floor was invaded by several hundreds of deeply interested spectators. No Limits to Bid^'.ng. The sale was conducted in an atmosphere of .tenses sustained excitement. There was a crowded bench of buyers representing every section of the trade. France and Germany made the sale at Napier, and to-night they forced the pace in a most extraordinary manner. At times there seemed to be no limits to the bidding, which 'was extremely animated throughout. Buyers clearly wanted wool and meant to have it. At times the bidding became almost frenzied. The sale went with a swing throughout and competition was actively maintained right up till the last lot was offered. Some of the outstanding prices paid were': —23|d, 24Ad and 25cl for lines of super Corriedales; 22id, 22 3d, 23d and 23id for halfbreds; 23d, 23Jd and 24Jd for Southdowns; 22Jd for Down cross; 19§d for super crossbred; 19d for C ewes; 18d for A ewes and lGkl for A crossbred. Various lines of hogget wools made from 18id to 19d. Many of the prices paid for average lines, went well beyond the wildest fancy of the grower, and in hundreds of cases growers and brokers' valuations were far exceeded by the actual realisations. Lambs' Wool Sells Well. Lambs' wool sold'-particularly ' well, numerous lots making 16d, 16id, 171 d, 17Jd and up to 18|d in one or two eases, Necks also sold exceedingly well, and in more than one case 15 Jd was paid. Pieces and bellies made what would have been regarded a few months ago as:impossible prices, and brought far more ■ than good fleece wools were ; sold for at this time last year. \ The first auctioneer, standing up gallantly and cheerfully -to a barrage of bids, disposed of 5570 bales in some 670 lots in less than an hour and a half. Later, he declared, that never, in his long experience had he had such a sale. Not a single lot in his catalogue' was passed. At the close of' the first catalogue trade experts estimated that . were generally 2d to 4d per lb up on the average of the first Wellington sale, and at least one penny above those at Na,pier last Saturday. When compared with the low-level prices at the January sale at Wellington last year to-night's values were phenomenal. In very many cases they were higher by 200 to 250 per cent. Taking a number of representative clips, the following > comparison can l>e made, prices' ruling at the January sale last year for corresponding, lines being shown in parentheses: —A Manawatu clip: 33 bales AA ewes, 16Jd (Old); 31, bales A ewes, 14id (5Jd); 13 bales B ewes, llifd (4Jd); 5 bales necks, 13d (4Jd); 9 bales pieces, lljd (3Jd). A Marlborough Sounds clip: 13 baleS AA halfbred, 23d (10£ d); 7 bales AA hogget, 20Jd (9Jd); 10 bales A halfbred, 21Jd (9d); 7 bales B halfbred, 21d (Sid); 7 bales A three-quarterbred, 20Jd (7|d); 3 bales necks, 201 d (9d); 4 bales halfbred pieces, 18id (8d). A well-known Wairarapa clip: 3 bales super Corriedale, 231 d (8|d); 12 bales first F Corriedale, 22d (Sd); 7 bales first F Corriedale, 21d (8d). Another Wairarapa clip, 19 bales A hogget, lbjd (Sid); 17 bales B hogget, 12d (41d); 25 bales A ewes, 14Jd (sd); 29 bales B ewes, llfd (3fd). Paliiatua clip: 4 bales crossbred A hogget, 16d (Old); 5 bales crossbred A, 16id (6d); 11 bales crossbred B, 13d (Sid); C bales crossbred C, 12d (3Jd). Pelorus Sound clip: 6 bales super Corriedale, 25d (103 d); 24 bales super Corriedale, 24£ d (lOd); 8 bales Corriedale A, (9id); 17 bales Corriedale B, 21id (8fd); 5 bales Corriedale pieces, 19id (8id); 4 bale 3 Corriedale bellies, 16id (5Ad); 18 bales Corriedale locks, 9d (2id). The sale went on until 11 p.m., at which hour about half the third catalogue had been cleared. The sale will be resumed at 9 o'clock to-morrow morning.