WELLINGTON WOOL SALES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 8 December 1913, Page 5

WELLINGTON WOOL SALES.

Reporting on their wool sale held on December 5, 1913, Dalgety and Co., Ltd., Wellington, state, inter alia:— " On an ayerage the condition of the wool was heavier when compared with' the same sale of- last Year. A number of the clips showed careful classing. • and it is satisfactory to note thai many- ■ ' ot the growers appear to recognise the " ' value of keeping their lots- as, large a* • possible. The hogget wool all round '' was not up to last year's quality, the majority being rather dingy/, badly tick-stained, and in a number of instances very tender. The best of the r Komney clips were, particularly well- ' « grown, being fine and, pleasing^ i» - quality. . .•.*•"■ The Market.—AVe think it.'necessary " to point out to growers that the December sale of a year ago was the jbest sale ever held in Wellington. Phenomenal prices were realised, and ;the reason for, .' this was that there was an estimated' ; shortage of 300,000 bales in the Australian clip, which when actual figures were available was fully borne out. bmce the, January sales of this year opened in London, there has been a steady decline in prices, and .the No-vember-December sales now in progress in London have evidenced, a still further decline. This weakening tendency has naturally' been reflected in the local» sale to-day, and the drop, together with an extra Jd tp £d lb for the heavier condition of the wool gen? erally accounts for., the difference ' inrf values to-day as compared •"with the- / " prices realised-.at the December sale- ' of a year ago. Many growers have the- r - impression that the decline In prices i»due entirely to the buyers not operating^ freely because of the present strike trouble and consequent delay in shipping, but we take this opportunity of correcting the erroneous impression. The wool which is being bought in today's sale will be on its way to London on December 20, which goes to show that such a report is entireijr without foundation.

A careful perusal of the prices realised for the clips in our sale ( to-day must bring the fact home to grower* that the wool is realising full parity of value when compared with present London prices, and farmers must realise that prices hay*? dropped f"lly Id to lid on last year's values. Our adviceis that we think farmer^ would be wise to market their wool without delay, an^t accept the rates now ruling..- At today's sale it was very noticeable thatthere was no competition from specu- V lative buyers, which helps to bear oufcour contention that they have little faith in the future of the market for London shipments. ' i The following are the prices realised, the prices for December, 1912, being in: parentheses: —Merino super, (up to* lUd), none offering; merino, (Bjd to*' lOd), none offering; hajf-bred siii»rj« (12* d to 13* d), lid to lHd; half-bred ' medirim. (lOjd to 12d), 9Jd to 103 d - crossbred super, (lid to 13* d), l(Hd tolled ; crossbred medium, (lOd tolled), 9d to lOid: crossbred coarse, (9d toiod>. 8d to 9^d; crossbred, inferior. (961! to 9ld). 7f"d to B*d; crossbred, piece*, ymri bellies. (s£d to 10?-d\ o*d to Bid;--halfbred. pieces and bellies, 7A. to 9*d " locks, (4d to fi^d\ 3^d to 4fdv lambs, best. TOd to Hid; lambs, medium, 9dY to.TOd; lambs, inferior, 8d to 9d. We are now receiving wool for our7>ext sale on January 7, 1914. catalogues for which close on December 23.