WAIRARAPA RAM SALE

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28792, 13 January 1959, Page 15

WAIRARAPA RAM SALE

Romney Sells At 2100 Guineas

"The Preet" Special Service MASTERTON, January 15. Main interest at the Wairarapa stud sheepbreeders’ annual ram fair held at Solway, Masterton, today was in a select few Romneys in the first run of the sale. Top price of the day was 2100 gns paid by the prominent Feathertson breeders Messrs J. G. Donald (Alloa Stud) and J. R. Matthews (Waiorongomai) for a fine upstanding Romney offered on account of Mr K. N. Allen (Mast, erton). The bidding for Mr K. Alien’s top-priced ram from a Cranleigh sire started quietly and from 400gns rose by lOOgns bids to lOOOgns. The Featherson syndicate and an Invercargill buyer, Mr Murray, disputed the bidding from that stage onwards with 250 gns bids. Mr Murray withdrew when Messrs Donald and Matthews went to 2100 gns. This price was 200 gns short of last year’s top price. Mr W. D. Goodwin (Masterton) paid 1750 gns and 1400 gns respectively for two of Mr Arthur Southey's Romneys. Another local buyer. Mr Alister Williams, of Te Parae, famed for its stud racehorses, paid 1400 gns for an entry of Mr Southey’s. Another good price of 1100 gns was paid by the Estate of D. Robertson (Gore) for an Alloa stud ram on account of Mr J. G. Donald. Mr Southey had the highest takings of any vendor at the sale. He earned 9315 gns for 12 lots which averaged a little more than 776 gns. Mr Allen sold seven lots at an average of 500 gns. Altogether 70 Romneys were sold at an average of 327} gns. Outside buyers came mainly from Southland but some of the lower-priced lots went to buyers from as far away as Rotorua and Heriot.

The Southdown entry generally met with a disappointing sale. Of the 41 lots offered Mr R. M. Perry of Kohatu stud. Masterton, sold 20 of these at an average of 291} gns. His sales aggregated 5835 gns but this represented a substantial drop on his sale at last year’s fair.

Top price for a Southdown was 600 gns paid by Mr T. A. Keen (Invercargill) for the first lot offered on account of Mr Perry. Mr Keen paid the same price for another Perry ram later in the sale.

Theft Of Safe With £lOOO Inside

(New Zealand Press Association, ROTORUA, January 12.

A safe containing more than £lOOO in cash and cheques was stolen from the office of the De Luxe service station, Fenton street, Rotorua, between 11 p.m. yesterday and 6.45 a.m. today. It is believed thieves broke into the building through sliding doors, dragged the safe, measuring about 24in x 18in x 16in, across the office floor to the nearby garage bay, and loaded it on to a waiting vehicle. The safe contained the takings since last Thursday.