SCENE AT WOOL SALE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2375, 3 February 1915, Page 6

SCENE AT WOOL SALE

FEELING AGAINST GERMANS. ' Since the Australian embargo on the export of merino wool to America, has been lifted, subject,to certain guarantee conditions, • fears have been entertained in wool-broking circjes in New South' Wales that wool which may be legitimately exported to the TJnitbd States may be eventually shipped to Germany. In consequence of the do-_ termination of auctioneers to avoid any* trading, however indirectly, with the enemy, an unusual scene took place in the Sydney wool sale room a.t the Royal Exchange last week. The usual vims of commencing auctions is 3 o'clock, and any delay, even of a few seoonds, is strongly resented by the buyers. At about half-past 3 o'clock the auctioneer appointed to submit the first catalogue mounted the rostrum and read out the special conditions of sale that have been operative since the war has been in progress. Sales then proceeded without incident till lot 31 was reached, when a German buyer made a bid which was not taken by tlie auctioneer. As the lot was not knocked down to anyone in particular. the German claimed it as a passedin lot, so that he could have priority in purchase by private sale. As the lot was disputed it was resubmitted, and purchased by a French firm. The scene at this stage was quite dramatic. When tho. German rose to bid there wore hoots in the gallery from the woolgrowers, and when the lot was knocked down at the German's price to a wellknown French house cheers burst forth from the same quarter. At a later stage another firm, supposed to have a German principal, failed to catch the auctioneer's eye, and was unable to secure" any lots out of the catalogue. After this there, was an exodus from the sale room of three representatives supposed to be Germans, or to have connections in Germany. Buyers actine on belinlf of principals in the United Kingdom, Franco, Japan, and America gave strong support to tho market. One Belgian buyer, in fact, bought the. whole 165 bales of a crossbred clip, which sold up to the record price in the Sydney market this season. :