LONDON WOOL REPORT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1772, 22 August 1866, Page 2

LONDON WOOL REPORT.

June 25. The sales which commenced on May 10, closed on June 23, the quantities catalogued comprising 24,671 hales, Sydney; 72,084 bales, Port Phillip;'C732 bales, Van Diemcn's Laud; 20,071 bales', Adelaide ; 2305 bales, Swan Biver; 17,161 bales, New Zealand; 15,578 bales, Cape; total, 157,602 bales, It is remarkable, as showing the extreme healthiness of our trade, that the sales opened so well, the decline being about ljd to 2Jd, on all descriptions, except the finer descriptions, of Port Phillip, which ruled 2d to 4d, lower—the cxtieme prices paid in March for all choice descriptions leaving a fair margin for decline; the fearful failures and panic in the city not noticeably altering our market bids, and prices being maintained with remarkable uniformity. Of course in so long a series and with such daily financial troubles there were variations at each night's sale; but that this large quantity should have found ready buyers at so satisfactory a range of prices must be extremely gratifying to all. No doubt the heavy operations of French buyers completely ruled the market, our own buyers, as a rule, bidding cautiously and with anticipations that wool would fall considerably from opening rates; but when it became positive that nearly half the whole quantity ottered would be taken by exporters, our own buyers took courage, and for the last few days of the sales the tone was better and prices established with more firmness, Many of the large staplers who usually operate very largely at this season of the year almost abstained from buying, the low prices of all German wcol at the fairs inducing them to stock heavily—circumstances there, in consequence of the war, enabling them to stock at fully 20 per cent below last year's rates. At one period of the sales Sydney wool was very cheap; many flocks deserving higher prices from their healthy breed and careful wash did not realise the prices anticipated, tho extremely low price of Silesian fleeces keeping down the prices of all good and middle Sydney. With war and dear money it is very difficult to form any decided opinion as to the range of prices at the August sales, but judging from the present tone of our market, we look for prices being fully supported for all free and well stapled descriptions; faulty Sydney will find little favour, and be sold with difficulty at a low range of prices; the cheap rate of all fair flocks, both colonial and German, will interfere most materially with such descriptions, and we note this in length for our Sydney friends, who often imagine that anything thence at a low price will find a ready market here.