FIRST FOR DOMINION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20385, 23 October 1940, Page 6

FIRST FOR DOMINION

WOOL APPRAISEMENT GISBORNE AND COAST NEARLY 3000 BALES Gisborne has the honour of holding the first wool appraisement for the new season in the Dominion, and four appraisers, who arrived yesterday afternoon, commenced work in Gisborne to-day, leaving Tolaga Bay and ' Tokomaru Bay clips for tomorrow. Under the original arrangement, the appraisement was to have been commenced to-morrow, and it was not until Friday evening that the Gisborne Woolbrokers’ Association received advice that it was to be put forward a day. At the same time amendments were made to fixtures in other centres, and the Auckland valuations, set down originally for Monday, were delayed until to-morrow, while Napier was delayed four days until Saturday. The Gisborne Woolbrokers’ Association was anxious to offer as much wool as possible at to-day’s appraisement, and flock-owners responded well to the appeal. At first it was expected that if 2000 bales were secured for Gisborne and the Coast the total would be satisfactory, in view of the broken weather which prevailed up to early last week and the late alteration in the date of the appraisement. Lost Time Made Up However, wool kept pouring into the stores until 10 o’clock last night, and all that was received up to that time was included in the catalogues, with the result that nearly 3000 bales were available in the three centres. Shearers had been able to make up much of the time lost owing to the unfavourable weather earlier in the month, and with only a week of real shearing 'weather they had turned out a total number of bales that has made the holding of an early appraisement well worth while.

As with all early-shorn clips, the fleece displayed in the Gisborne stores .o-day is in light condition. An inpection of the first of the wool made ready to-day indicated that, generally speaking, it was well grown, the sheep having wintered well and most was bright and attractive, although there was a slight tenderness evident in a few of the lots. Interim Tallies As wool kept on coming in up to a late hour last night, and even this morning, a complete total of the offerings was not available at noon to-day, when an interim tally gave the following totals for the three centres:— ■ Bales. Gisborne . • ■ • 1972 Tokomaru Bay .. .. 650 Tolaga Bay .. .. 300 Total .. • • 2922 Four appraisers were working in Gisborne to-day, Messrs. C. Hughes, chief, E. Foster, E. Hazelton, and H. Champion.\ All are from Wellington.