LONDON WOOL SALES

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27663, 20 May 1955, Page 16

LONDON WOOL SALES

PRICES HARDEN CANTERBURY halfbred MAKES 69}D PER LB (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, May 18. New Zealand wools were again in strong demand when the London sales resumed, states a report issued jointly by the Committee of London Woolbrokers and the London Agency of the New Zealand Wool Commission. Competition was lively with the home trade the principal buyer, although the Continent took many of the finer quality lots. Prices hardened against the buyer, chiefly for average styles, which, generally, were I'd dearer than last Friday.* The highest price for fleece wools was 71 Jd for eight bales of particularly fine quality under various marks in the Auckland selection, and 692 d was obtained for halfbreds branded “Hillside” from Christchurch, in which clip nine bales of only 56 quality made 69id. Many lots of fleece in other clips realised over 60d.

Prices were also outstanding for good style, scoured crossbred lambs, many lots of which fetched over 84d, the highest being 86d for four bales of 48-50’s quality, branded “WBW” from Hawke’s Bay. Fleece wools of medium to fine quality in the scoured offering fetched mainly between 77d and 80d, with good style pieces selling round 75d to 76d, whilst 68d was the representative price for good to average style locks. Only a few lots of scoured crutchings were available, and one made the. very good price of 73d. It comprised five bales branded “Bluerock” from Martinborough. The series will end on Friday, when there will be another substantial offering from New Zealand, including 2400 bales of greasy crossbreds, which have been binned in London. UNITED KINGDOM NET IMPORTER OF COAL TOLL OF MINE STRIKES (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, May 18. The United Kingdom is now a net importer of coal, says the "Financial Times.” Up to May 7 a total of 3,940,000 tons were imported compared with just over 3,000,000 tons for the whole of 1954. Exports amounted to 3,920,000 tons by May 7, compared with 4,880,000 in the same period last year. The coal output is now running 2,300,000 tons behind last year, as a result of the Yorkshire coal strike. So far this year industrial disputes have cost 1,790,000 tons compared with 594,000 tons in the same period last year.