MERINOS CONSIDERED SAFE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 143, 19 June 1913, Page 3

MERINOS CONSIDERED SAFE.

From the very first the demand ruled good for fine wools. Somehow there has never been expressed the least fear about the safety of merinos. It is quite true that today there is no scarcity of.tins class of material, hut it is expected by Jvilv that the Australian shortage wil' he more in evidence, although to-day it does not appeal at all powerfully to the minds of users.

That no doubt is because practically everybody has enough by them to meet all their obligations till August or. September, but "it is from August to November that any paucity in supplies is likely to be felt. Son:e are doing all they possibly can to belittle the significance of theshortage, pointing out that the somewhat slackened state of the manufacturing industry abroad offsets the shrinkage in the current Colonial clip. However, merinos have held their ground splendidly during the recent auctions, and it is a fact that except for the heavy wasty greasy merinos, the demand has been good at steady and firm prices. At same time, the Continental sections have not been active supporters of these wools, particularly France. German buyers have bought on a, larger scale than their neighbors, but when all is said and done, the raw material has been shifted , creditably, and prices equivalent to March rates have been made. We cannot see that scoured combing merinos have done any better than they did at the previous auctions, but for the .seedy, burry carbonising wools, the advance Is a good £d. It it rather noteworthy that second-hand lots have not sold so freely at the recent auctions as in March or January, due presumably to_ high first cost. Of course, the earlier bought wools me now off the.market, it being the wool purchased in Australia in January which has been recently catalogued. These wools have all come in at fairly stiff figures, and owners have never hesitated about taking in the wools if they could net trc-t a profit. Some lots oatalogut*! in the first, week of the scries have loon up again this week, and have made id oh the previous bid ten days ago. , , ■