THE LONDON COLONIAL WOOL SALES.

Press, Volume XIV, Issue 1881, 26 April 1869, Page 2

THE LONDON COLONIAL WOOL SALES.

(Mr Helmuth Schwartze*s Circular.) «J^ e Ji£? do ?, colonial w °ol sales commenced on *eb 25, with a catalogue in which the two leading descriptions of this series—Port Philip and Adelaide-were well represented. The quantities offered comprieed 250S bales Port

Philip, 2279 bales Adelaide, 308 bales Sydney, 63 bales New Zealand, and 427 bales C»pe— total, 5580 ba'es.

As usual at this period of the year a large number of both home and foreign buyers attended, the competition wae brisk, and prices, as compared with the closing rates of November-December series, for fair Port Philip fleece, and for fair Adelaide grease, were rather in favour of buyers. Of Capes there was but a poor selection, but as far as the sale of a few hundred bales offers a criterion the prices paid were very firm.

A confident tone seems to prevail generally among the trade. The arrivals in time for this series comprise—Port Philip, 49,283 bales ; Cape, 23,837 bales; Sydney, 12,874 bales ; Tan Diemen's Land, 388 bales ; Adelaide, 28,573 bales ; New Zealand, 1591 bales; Swan River, 797 bales—total, 117,340 bales ; and about 15,000 bales were held over from former series ; the total to be offered is, therefore, about 132,340 bales.

The "Times" of the 25th February says— The first series of colonial wool sales commenced to-day with a good attendance of English and foreign buyers. The catalogues consisted chiefly of a considerable assortment of Port Phillip wool of more or less faulty description and several well-known Adelaide brands, and the prices for these may be stated generally as barely averaging the rates of November. The Sydney, New Zealand, and Cape wools were neither in sufficient quantity nor of a character to afford a fair test of the market for such kinds. According to Messrs Southey, Balme and Co. the catalogue consisted of 2503 bales Port Phillip, 2279 Adelaide, 308 Sydney, 63 New Zealand, 427 Cape—making 5580 bales. The quantity arrived is as under—l2,s7l bales Australian, 797 Swan Eiver, 1591 New Zealand, and 23,837 Cape—making 117,340 bales, and about 12,000 bales held over, against 106,227 bales for the same series of 1868. In the " Evening Express " of this date, Port Phillip is reported to be £d to Id lower. Adelaide grease (of good quality) id to Id lower. Sydney and Cape without alteration.