COMMERCIAL

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24988, 24 September 1946, Page 8

COMMERCIAL

AUCKLAND WOOL SALE RECENT VALUES MAINTAINED KEEN COMPETITION FOR CRUTCHINGS (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Sept. 23. Prices were fully firm on values realised at last week’s sales at Wellington and Wanganui, when 31,901 bales were offered at the first wool auction held in Auckland for seven years. Ninety-five per cent, of the new season’s greasy wool ana slipe and scoured wools were cleared, but as with the two earlier sales the Wool Disposal Commission’s stock wool, particularly unskirted fleeces, did not sell so readily, and a fair proportion was passed. The oldest wool was appraised in the 1943-44 season. With 42 buyers on the bench at the start, the sale was the largest to have been held in Auckland at this time of the year. A rough estimate was made that the sale brought in about £500,000. Not all of this will go to the province as the stock wool was bought in past seasons, and was sold again by the commission. Bradford buyers were in the market for reduced limits, their buying being affected by the current London sales on the spot market. Officially controlled prices for British wool cloth and clothing limited their bidding for wool for manufacture ftfr the British market. Like other buyers, they were hampered by delays in replies to their cablegrams Home fixing their buying limits. Mainly because many European scouring works are still out of commission. Continental buyers were keenly interested in scoured wools. Ports serving the few scouring plants working have become congested. The highest price of the day was paid on the last lot in the last catalogue of the sale. It was 34Jd, paid by an Australian buyer representing a number of interests, for 49 bales of Tattersfield, Ltd.’s scoured lambs’ wool. Two lots of Southdown slipe wool reached top prices of 34d and 33d. Bidding opened briskly, but did not remain animated for any long period. At times there were fairly long gaps in the bidding when stock wool was passed. Following is an official report by the Auckland Woolbrokers’ Association:—The first Auckland wool sale was held to-day when about 6000 bales of crutchings and oddments, 22,000 bales of greasy stock wools on account of the New Zealand Wool Disposal Commission, 2250 bales of slipe wool, and 1850 bales of scoured wool were offered. The offering of new season’s wool consisted mainly of crutchings, but included in the offering were a few lots of early shorn hogget and wether wool, which sold particularly well. Competition for crutchings was keen, and at time? animated, especially for good coarse crutchings. Average and inferior crutchings were sought, but within more restricted limits. The demand for all wools was fairly eVenly spread among the United Kingdom, Continental, and American buyers, with Australia and local mills in strong support. It was very evident that well-skirted and even lines of fleece wool will be in demand during the coming season. Poorly skirted and mixed quality wools received less favourable attention from buyers.. There was a 95 per cent, clearance of new season’s greasy Wool, and of slipe and scoured wools. Following is the official range of prices:

CRUTCHINftS Fine Crossbred — d. d. Good to super to 17' Average .. 13 to 15 Inferior and seedy .. . 7 to 11 CrossbredGood to super . 16J to 181 Average t .. . 12J to 16 Inferior and seedy .. u to 12