METHODS OF STOCK. SALES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 827, 27 May 1910, Page 10

METHODS OF STOCK. SALES.

; THE "RING" QUESTION. i (By Telegraph—Special Correspondent.) [ Christchurch, May 26. An interesting discussion on the , operations of "rings" of purchasers at ; sheep sales took place at the Provincial ; Conference of the Farmers' Union this afternoon. - The subject was raised in a r remit forwarded by .the .Oxford'branch 3 of tho union: ."That tho Farmers' Union strongly support the auctioneers J in their endeavour to prevent the cutl ting-up purchases of fat . sheep and ;■ lambs for freezing purposes, it being inimical to the interests of coinpetition." ~M r\ "■ O'Halloran, in moving tho c , adoption of tho remit, said that a ; fanner might send 500 sheep to tho j. saleyards, and they would be purchased . at auction. Tho purchaser, however, . would divide up tho number- into lots > °f 50 or 100 each, or even less, with 5 other buyers who had not made a bid. i This reduced tho competition, and it > was absolutely against tho interests of ' the farmers. He had, on one occasion, ' suffered a loss through tho practice, j and, after that, he never sent another t sheep to the particular yards at which tho incident . occurred. .He believed that tho auctioneer had done something to amend the practice,'but it should bo abolished altogether. Mr. Clothier seconded the motion. Ho said that buyers whom' he know i .had sometimes got almost to blows over these transactions, accusing one another uf bidding against the "ring." Mr. 6. Sheat said that lie believed tnat the auctioneers were against tho pi'actico as much as tho farmers were, and, during the past threo weeks, had refused to have anything to do with the cutting - up. They insisted on giving delivery to only ono man. The auctioneer could not do moro than that. It was impossible for the latter to utterly prevent this form of competition.. ■ Mr. Leadley said that the system bad J' been pretty bad'in His district, at tho ; ; fat stock sales. He had known as ' small a lot as 60 lambs to be divided into two lots, Tho system destroyed ' fair competition, and was not in tho , interests of the auctioneer or -the farmer. It was difficult ,to devise a Bchemo to stop it, but it was acting detrimentally to tho interests of tho trade, It would bo in the interests of tho farmers to send their sheep to tho works direct rather than to send them to tho yards unless they could get fair competition. Mr. Patterson said that lie did not ■ Bee that tho union could do anything. He had seen a nice lot of lambs at Addington knocked down a month ago at 13s. 6d.; and there was only ono buyer who put in a bid. Mr. Evans' (president) stated that, if the auctioneer did not assist the buyers to share, tho farmers would got tho market price for their lambs. Mr. T. 15. Howson said that ho had noticed the presence of tho system at Burnsido moro than at any other yards. Other delegates agreed that, if the auctioneers refused to recognise any' division, but looked to tho ono pur-' ■•baser for settlement, they would be doing all that was possible, and that this would do much to defeat the "'ring." The motion was agreed to. Messrs. Abraham and Williams, Ltd., report that, at Palmerstou yesterday, a medium entry of stock was offered. Bidding was not brißk, and several lines were passed at auction. Sales were effected at the following quotations:—Forward bullocks, £7 145.; threo and four-year bullocks, £6 155.; forward cows, £3 13s. 6d.; springing cows, £5 ss. to £6 10s.; store cows, £2 2s. fid.; empty ewes, 7s. to Bs. 6d.; store ewes, 6s. Id.; owes and lambs, 6s. 6d.; wether lambs, 69. 6d;; cull lambs, 3s. Id.