AUCKLAND WOOL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 305, 27 December 1939, Page 3

AUCKLAND WOOL.

SECOND APPRAISAL.

IN PROGRESS TO-DAY.

ACHIEVEMENT OF VALUERS

It meant a rush of work at the wool stores when the date of the second Auckland appraisal was brought forward, but today, when the valuers arrived, ajl was ready lor them. About 20,000 bales were prepared at the Painell stores, and the woolbuyeis set to work this morning examining each lot of wool to ascertain the price which would be paid for it under the Government commandeer. By the end of the year the members t)t the Woolbuyers' Association who have been appointed wool appraisers, will have valued about 187,700 bales of wool, which the Government has taken over for sale to the Imperial Government. The quantity sold at the six sales held before the New Year last season was some 52,000 bales less. Close on £3,000,000.

Wool worth almost £3,000,000 has been appraised as follows:—Auckland 43,500 bales, including 20,000, the estimated quanV,L, to , b ? subnii ««l to-day; Wellington, 21,000 bales; Napier, 23,262; Wanganui,

23,195; Gisborne and East Coast, 9782; Blenheim, 5200; Christchurch, 23,000; Timaru, 13,326; Oamaru, 4000; Dunedin, 21,431. Offerings at selling centres prior to the new year last season were: Auckland, 24,181 bales; Napier, 23,400; Wellington, 23,850; Christchureh, 23,964; Ijmaru, 15,987; Dunedin, 24,279. The achievement of the appraisers has been applauded by the wool trade. Not only have they completed a huge task, but apparently they have fixed values with such accuracy that all concerned have been well satisfied.

Quality of the Wool. Aβ the appraisals proceed, growers are becoming more familiar with the procedure, and many of the early objections are disappearing. One point which was not generally understood at the outset was the fact that wool would be valued according to its quality. In this respect good woole have received several pence a pound anore than the average price, while, of course, dugty, burry and otherwiee inferior *°a $? not reach th e average level. At Dunedin, for instance, an Otago clip {was awarded the top price for halfbred in T»ew Zealand this season at 19% d per lb, jwhfle at Blenheim up to 20% d was paid for an outstanding Merino offering. Generally the get-up of clipe has been satisfactory, but some growers are atill leaving "fleece wool unekirted, which necessitates unrolling in order that the various types can be priced according to schedule. Growers are also realising that the appraisement system has an advantage in the elimination of such charges as cataloguing and commission, previously y e c " p, antl amounting to around a halfpenny a pound. The only charges from shed to store that the fleece carries to-day are transport and classing and binning, if required, which is an important consideration to be taken into account when comparing current returns with those of previous seasons.