FALL IN WOOL

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 168, 12 April 1932, Page 10

FALL IN WOOL

Final Wellington Sale A SMALL OFFERING Decline on March Prices BRADFORD MAIN BUYER A disappointing end to a disappointing season fairly describes the fifth and final Wellington wool sale held yesterday morning. The offering was a small one, a total of 12,806 bales being catalogued. There were a fair number of last-minute withdrawals, and passings duriig the auction were monotonously frequent. The sale was all over in a little more than three hours. The offering was a fairly mixed one, consisting mainly of average top-making crossbreds. There was very little merino, and only a few halfbreds. The bench of buyers .was not a full one, but was fairly representative of all sectiofis of the trade. At times bidding was keen, but the sale dragged heavily now and then. All buyers were working on very rigid limits set on a low scale. Bradford was the mainstay of the auction, and lifted the bulk of what was sold. Continental buyers were bidding freely at times, but did not appear to have even the limited freedom of the Yorkshiremen. Germany took little or nothing, while the French trade bought sparingly the best bellies and pieces. Japan was, perhaps, next to Bradford in the extent of purchases. It was noticeable that the halfbreds were fairly well competed for, but at a reduction generally of id. to id. The best lines of crossbreds were little, if anything below March rates, and the same applied to the short supply of good lambs’ wool. There was a good demand for bellies and pieces, for which local scourers competed, and best sorts were only id. below last sale rates. Average crossbreds were from par to id. down, and inferior and poor qualities fell off by id. to Jd. and in some cases even more.

In a remarkably large number of cases the best prices bid fell short of growers’ reserves, and passings were very heavy. A fair number of sales were subsequently made by private treaty, but generally speaking the sale was an unsatisfactory ending to one of the worst selling seasons ever known in Wellington. Whereas the average realisation for the March sale was about 4.15 d. per lb., and £6/2/2 per bale, it was estimated by one broker that yesterday’s auction would return an average of 3d. to 3Jd. a lb., and rather more than £5/5/- a bale. Such a price would leave but little to the grower after paying for shearing, baling, freight, and selling expenses. The official range of prices gives the following comparison with prices realised at the Wellington March sale: — March 11. April 11. d d d. d

Merino, 64/70, 60/64: 7i 51 to 6 Average 6 to Inferior 4} to 6 4} to 5} Corriedale: Super — —- —— —— Average 4. 7 to 0 6 to 81 Inferior — —— —• — Fine halfbred, 56/58: Super — n —- —— Average 6} to 81 5} to 83 Inferior 4 to 64 31 to 54 Medium half bred, 50/56: nt . Super ; — Average ' 7 8? — to 6 to 81 Inferior 4 to 6i 41 to bi Extra tine crossbred, 48/aO: 7-1 Super 6 to 8 6 to Average 4} to 7 41 to •>1 Inferior 21 to 41 ■ 21 to 4 Fine crossbred, 46/48: Super 6 to 8 5 to 7 Average 41 to 51 3$ to 4} Inferior 2 to 3J 21 to 31 Medium crossbred, 44/46: Super 5J to 6} fi to 6 Average 3J to 5 31 to 41 Inferior to 31 1 to 31 Coarse crossbred, 40/44: Super , — 71 —— 7 Average 3} to 4* 31 to 5J Inferior 2 to 31 1 to 3 Low crossbred, 36/40: Super — —— — Average 3} to 3} 21 to 4 Inferior 2} to 3 — -A Hoggets, 48/50 .... 4i to 7 3} to Fine, 46/48 ...... 4 to 64 31 to 6 Medium, 44/46 4 to b4 34 to 5 Coarse. 40/44 .... — 41 31 to 4i Low, 36/40 — 01 — 3i Lambs: Down, 50/56 .... 54 to 74 6 to 61 Pine,* 46/50 5| to 8 41 to 64 Seedy and inferior 1 to 1 to 4 Bellies and pieces: Merino— Good to super .. — —— —— —— Low to medium -- 41 — Halfbred— Good to super .. 3} to 54 3 to 31 Law to medium 2} to 31 o to 34 Crossbred— 21 51 Good to super .. 2J to 3 11 to Low to medium 1 to01 to 2t Crutcliings: 34 Medium to good 3 Inferior to seedy 61 to 44 2} to to 01 to -4 Locks: Merino 11 to 1 to JI Half bred — —— to —— Crossbred 1 to 11 01 11