DUNEDIN WOOL SALES.

Evening Star, Issue 11776, 5 January 1903, Page 4

DUNED IN WOOL SALES.

A DEADLOCK BETWEEN BUYERS AND SELLING BROKERS OYER THE DELIVERY CHARGES. The Dunedin Woolbrokers’ Association advertised their first sale of the season for 11.50' a.m. to-day, and there was a considerable muster "at the Victoria Hall of buyers, growers, and others interested in the trade. The first auctioneer, Mr Prain, representing the Otago ■ Farmers’ Co-opera-tive Association, intimated, as is usually done, that tho conditions of sale would lac those printed on the catalogue, and similar in ail respects to those which have been iu use for many years On this being announced, Mr Walter Hili, 1 secretary of the Buyers’ Association, rose and asked if clause 7 was not to be amended in terms of the demands made. iMr Prain replied that the conditions would stand as printed, whereupon *the buyers rose in a body and left their tables. From inquiries made we find what the position is. Clause 7 reads thus; “ The buyer shall, in all cases, pay the broker, for delivery, Is 6d per bale, Sd per fadge, and 3d per bag. The same to include rebranding, sewing, and delivery at the railway station, or sidings (on trucks), wharves, or within the town boundary. But where the buyer does his own carting from the warehouse an allowance of 3d per bale will be made.” Tho only point in dispute is as to the last sentence of the above clause. The buyers demand that a rebate of 6d per bale instead of 3d be made to those who do their own carting. The selling brokers object to this, and say that the actual cost of cartage is only 3d per bale. The brokers further say that the original charge for deliver)' was |d per lb, equal to 3s 6d or 4g per bale, and that rate is still current in the Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and Brisbane markets. Here, however, upon the representation of the buyers, the charge was reduced some years ago to 2s fid per bale, and at a later date to Is fid, the present rate. This latter figure the buyers admitted was no more than actual cost of the service repdered. We further understand that the object the selling brokers have in view in withstanding tho demand of the buyers is to ensure that the expenses incurred "on behalf of the purchaser in connection with delivery shall be paid for by him and not thrown on to the grower. Subsequent to. the dispersal of the company attending the auction room our reporter saw a representative of the buyers, who said: We were seeking uniformity cf the conditions of sale six years ago, and as a result conditions were framed which ali the buyers' associations in the colony accepted with the exception of clause 7. Christchurch and Tiiuaiu accepted them with the rebate of fid to local buyers. Dunedin and the other centres allowed buyers only od, local buyers not being members of our Association. Since then circumstances have altered. Mast of the local buyers have joined us. They find that buyers inTimaru and Christchurch are getting "the fid rebate, and they want it too. and have forced the foreign buyers into line. At the sale here a year ago tho question was put as it was put to-day, and the brokers refused to make more than the 3d allowance ; but at a meeting of buyers held in the room it was agreed to waive the point on the Brokers’ Association giving an assurance that the claim would be allowed this year. The secretary of the Buyers' Association addressed the chairman of the Dunedin Brokers’ Association, and the chairman, gave his assurance that ho would do his best to bring about uniformity. That meant, from our point of view, the same conditions as at Chri-t----church and Timaru. The chairman- of the Dunedin Brokers’ Association now argues that if ho got Christchurch and Timaru to come down to the 3d that would be uniformity. As a matter of fact, nothing has been done to remedy our grievance, and we consider tho present position the result of tho misunderstanding between the chairman and tho secretary of tho two Associations. There is no money in it—probably not more than £IOO a year between all the selling brokers—and for the most of us there is nothin." in it at all, but it ia a matter of principle, and, ns you have seen, we are acting together. The account dictated by a representative of the brokers was its follows:—Last year there was a deadlock for the time being on the same point, but the buyers ultimately gave way, the understanding being that an effort would bo made by tno chairman of tho Dunedin Woolbrokers’ Association to get all the other centres into line with regard to this rebate. The Associations at Napier, Wellington, Timaru, Invercargill, and Christchurch were communicated with, and Christchurch was the only place where there was any inohuatiou to give a- rebate up to fid. All the other centres were perfectly determined to adhere to the 3d, but the Timaru Association have for some special reason given way on the point for their first sale only, and now, .seeing that Dunedin li£s stood firm, they will probably follow oiir lead.

'There was no further attempt at a sale during the day. The brokers had a meeting at noon, and we understand decided thereat to maintain the conditions as printed. It is said that the same question will fee raised by the buyers at Invercargill tomorrow and at Timanx later in the week. Meanwlule, country visitors to the sole are complaining about the loss of time and tho expense of coming to town for nothing, and part of £40,000 is standing idle.