WOOL SALES

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 137, 8 December 1930, Page 12

WOOL SALES

HEAVY WITHDRAWALS

MODERATE PRICES

GOOD COMPETITION

Instead of an oSering of between 25,000 and 30,000 bales usual in Wellington in December, the aggregate catalogue at the Town Hall to-day was a little over 17,000 bales. The~New Zealand Wool Committee fixed the limit at 30,000 bales, so that actually there was far from being too much wool put on to the market at one time. A comprehensive review of the sale up to lunch time, when the greater part of the wool had been dealt with, was given to "The Post" by the chairman of the Wool Committee, Mr. J. B. Moodie. Although it was well known and understood that prices for all qualities of the textile are now on "a very, very low basis," yet the competition at to-day's sale, on the current low range, was exceedingly animated, with the buying well spread; in fact, better Spread than at the Auckland and Wanganui sales. "So far as the sale has gone," continued Mr. Moodie. ''Continental competition is the most pronounced, ,no doubt, owing to the fact that a liirpfP i of the wool offered \vas very suitable for the j Continental trade. Freucn uw'-o •••••= erratic and not quite so keen as at the three sales of this season already held at Auckland, Wanganui, and Napier. Bradford was interested in the market, and any lines of good to superfine crossbreds coining forward met with excellent competition and brought forth the keenest bidding. These wools and good erossbreds were fully firm on the Napier prices and slightly better than the rates recorded for Auckland and Wanganui. "Good clean skirtings of all descriptions sold freely, Germany being the .principal operator. "There was a fair offering of merinos and halfbreds from the Marlborough. district. Unfortunately prices paid for these wools were on a a very low level, except for lines suitable for the New Zealand woollen manufacturer. At about the middle of the sale the highest price paid for merino was lOd for eight bales A merL ewes, and 9%d for A merino wethers, branded 'Benopai,' Marlborough. Super combing lines, a lot of eleven bales, made 10% d, and a second line of the same brand made 9%d, with, pieces and bellies of the same clip selling at 7d. The above wools' were of highly superfine quality, very light in condition. The merinos and halfbreds above-mentioned were purchased for local mills. Ordinary topmaking lines of halfbred and merinos sold at disappointing prices, and the passings in of such wools were fairly heavy. "Quality and condition of. wool at this sale," Mr. Moodie went on, "was below the usual standard, many wools showing signs of the hard winter. Wools in many instances were off colour and very tender. Old wools included in the catalogue —wool held over from last year—showed up unattractively, the majority being very stale in appearance, and carried a bad yellow stain. "Withdrawals before the sale began were fairly heavy. It was a pity, in my opinion," said Mr. Moodie, "that growers who should by this time realise the present market value of wool, should instruct their brokers to offer the wool and then, at the very last moment, withdraw it. It is only natural that buyers, after spending many hours in valuing such wools should be disappointed to find when they came into the sale and the wool brought under the hammer that the clips they have carefully valued are not" for sale. So far, however, growers in general appear to be meeting the market freely, and of the largest catalogues some 80 to 85 per cent., were sold under the hammer. "Superfine crossbreds of American style were eagerly competed for, prices running from 6d to 7d. "There was a slightly better inquiry for lambs, and the lots offered were mainly sold, good parcels bringing from 5d to 6d. "Ordinary top-making 44's/48's crossbreds showed no change from the sales already held at Auckland, Wanganui, and Napier, and brought 4%d to 5%d. Low grade crossbred ranged from 4d to 4%d; inferior and seedy wools brought 3d to 3y 2 d; ordinary bellies and pieces made 2d to 3d, with better lines, bulky and in light condition realising 4d to 4%d." It was satisfactory to note, remarked the chairman, that there was a full bench oi buyers who were exceedingly keen to get the wool. RANGE OF PRICES TO-DAY. 10th April. Bth Dec. d. d d d Merino, 64/70, 60/64— S"Per - . 9 to 10 Average — 6 to 8% Inferior ...... _ 4% to s>/ 2 Fine Halfbred, 56/5S— Super ■ — t S to 8% Average — 6 to 7 Inferior — 4% to 5% Medium Halfbred, 50/56— Super • _ None . Average — 6 to ;js Inferior — 4 to 5& Corriedale— Super .... — None. None. Average 0 to 11 Xone. Inferior 7-1 to 7% None. Extra Fine Crossbred, 4S/50—Super 9% to 10% 6% to 7% Average 8»4 to 9V- 5 to 6J,$ Inferior 7 to S 4 to i% Fine Crossbred, 46/4S— Super 9% to 10U 6>4 to 71/. Average 8 to OV* 4% to 6'A Inferior 6% to 7^ 3% to 4Ms Medium Crossbred, 44/46 — Super 9 to 9% 6 to 7% Average 7% to 9 4% to 5% Inferior G'A to 7% 3 to 4 .Coarse Crossbred, 40/44 — Super 8% 5% to C% Average 7% to BY< IVi to 5«. Inferior G 'to 7& 2% to 4 ' Low Crossbred, 36/40— Super 8% to 8% 5 to 5% Average 7 to 8 3% to 4% Inferior 5% to 6% 2% to 3 Hoggets— 48/50 8 *o 9% 554 to 7% Fine, 46/48 .. 7% to 9% 5 to 7 Med., 44/46 .. 7% to 9 4 to 6 Coarse, 40/44 .... None. 4% Lambs— Down, 50/56 .. 8 to 9Ms 6d to 6% Fine Fine .. S to 10% 4% to. 6% , Medium, 40-44 None. None. Seedy and infer. All grades .. 4% to 7 2 to 4 Bellies and Pieces, Merino— Good to super None. 3 to 5 Low to mcd. None. Halfbred: Good to super None. SV; to 5 Low to mcd. . None. Crossbred: Good to super 5% to 1% 3 to 5% Low to mcd. . 3Yi to 5 , 1% to 3 Crutchlnßs — Med. to good . 4 V'- to 6% 3 to 4% Infer, and seedy 3y 2 to 44 1 to 2% Locks — Merino None. None. Halfbred .... None. None. Crossbred 2% to 3% 1 to 2