NAPIER WOOL SALE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 313, 2 December 1933, Page 8

NAPIER WOOL SALE

SUPER GRADES STILL HIGH. PRICES NEARLY 100 PER CENT. BETTER THAN IN MARCH. Per Press Association. HASTINGS. Dee. 1. Prices, which were slightly down in level on Auckland for lower grades and on a par in super grades, resulted a.t the opening wool sale held at Napier to-day. The slight decrease in the level which resulted was not altogether a surprise to most growers, duo to the fact that Hawke’s Bay wool does not provide the same amount of fine halfbred wool, but abounds in fine medium and coarse crossbreds. Taken on a whole, the prices may be said to be 95 to 100 per cent, better than they were at the March sale at the end of last selling season. Compared with the rates which were ruling at the last December sale for the Hawke’s Bay district, values on average to good wools show an advance of 8d to Pd on 50-66’s, 8d to 9d on 48-50’s, 6d to 7d on 46-48’s, 3Jd to 4£d on 44-46’s, and 3d to 4d on 40-44’s. Right from the start of the sale it was evident that the Continent was going to absorb a greater proportion of the clip than it did at the Auckland sale. Bradford was well represented among a large bench of buyers and bid steadily on all classes of wool. Buyers’ rates were not so elastic as at Auckland, but the bidding was steady and maintained throughout the course of the sale. New Zealand mills purchased all classes of wool, although they did not feature to any great extent in the buying. A feature of the bidding was tho low starting prices, which advanced rapidly uj> to buyers’ limits, some offerings starting at 6d and finishing at Is and over. No spectacular prices were paid and it was evident that buyers were bidding low starting prices in the hope that they would be able to secure the offerings at below market rates, but rue opportunities were missed, and, where bids failed to realise brokers’ valuations, offerings were passed in. Only a small percentage failed to reach the valuations, which in many cases were exceeded. Rises of id were common on good types of wool. A BETTER CLIP.

The quality of the clip showed an improvement in get-up and in quality of top lines, this being favourably commented upon by several buyers. The fact that there was less hairy wool included was also praised. No deterioration was noticed in the bulk of heldover wools, and an anomaly existed in that some held-over clips realised better prices than new wool from the same vendors. It was pointed out that to-day’s sale gives a better indication of realisations in the coming season than the Auckland one, as values to-day were more steady and, in the opinion of several brokers, represented a truer state of the wool market. A conservative estimate of the rise on March values was 90 to 95 per cent., this indicating that the return to normal prices will be on a more steady basis. The official range of prices was not available to-night owing to the fact that the brokers do not meet until to-morrow.

THE PRICE RANGE.

Per Press Association. NAPIER, Dec. 2. The official rango of prices at the Napier wool sale yesterday was as follows :

OUTLOOK FOR TRADE. AN OPTIMISTIC VIEW. PROMINENT BRADFORD MAN. AUCKLAND, Dec. 1. An optimistic view concerning the future of the wool industry in New Zealand is taken by Mr B. J. P. Parkinson, head of one of the largest Bradford firms of wool merchants and top makers, who arrived at Auckland by the Mariposa. Mr Parkinson was president of the' British Wool Federation for two years and his firm has been actively interested in the New Zealand market for a considerable period. This is his first visit to the Dominion. “I do not see why prices should not continue to rise,’' Mr Parkinson said. “England has definitely turned the corner and, in sympathy with the demand for woollen goods, Bradford now wants raw material. There is still some uncertainty on the Continent- and conditions in the United States are perhaps not as settled as they might be. However, in spite of that, every message I have received since my departure from England has revealed rising prices and, with a prospective improvement in the United States and on the Continent, the outlook should be decidedly hopeful.” DOMINION WOOL. Z-'rl-'id wool. end. fnrWrl.

from some other parts of the world, had been deteriorating to some extent during recent years, Mr Parkinson continued, That was possibly only a natural result of the low prices that had been obtaining since the stai’t of the depression. However, there were indications that growers were now making a definite effort to improve the quality of their wool and this was coinciding with much improved demand for good fleeces. In the past there had been a little too much crossing in New Zealand. Some of the high quality Lincoln wool of the past years had almost disappeared. When Mr Parkinson was informed of the tendency to produce more halfbred wool he said it was a most encouraging sign. There was a ready market tor lialfbred wool and an increased clip of this quality from New Ze'aland would certainly meet with higher prices. One of the best features concerning the wool trade during the course or the depression was that prices had been allowed very largely to take their own course, Mr Parkinson said. With the sudden disastrous slump in wool prices there had been some outcry, particularly in Australia, for Government intervention in wool buying in order to secure higher prices. If Governments had bought wool the process of recovery would have been greatly retarded. It was purely a question of the trade finding its own price levels. Mr Parkinson intends spending seven weeks in New Zealand before continuing his world tour, on which he is accompanied by his daughter, Miss Elsie Parkinson. He will leave for Wellington early next week to attend the wool sale there and, during his stay in New Zealand, hopes to visit some of the larger sheep stations. He has also been invited to address meetings on various aspects of the wool trade of intei-est to New Zealand pastoralists. Mr Parkinson is also interested in other branches of farming apart from sheep, farming. In England he is a well-known breeder of Friesian cattle and has won many awards at important shows. He is also a keen sportsman and huntsman. LONDON W r OOL SALES. FINER GROWTHS FIRM. Received December 2, 11.15 a.m. LONDON, Dec. 1. At the wool sales 10,177 bales were offered, including 4903 from New Zealand, and approximately 8170 were sold. Competition was well sustained for finer growths, which realised full rates, but inferior and faulty sorts showed no improvement and the withdrawals continued. New Zealand sales were: Scoured Merinos, branded “Hiko,” top price 28Id, average 271 d. Greasy crossbreds, branded “Ahm,” 16d; brander “Dome,” top price 13, average ll|d.

Southdown— Super Nil Average 16i to 18J Inferior 12J to 15 Corriedale— Super Nil Average 16 to 18! Inferior Nil Halfbred, 50’s to 56’s— Nil Super Average ... ... ... 15J to 17! Inferior 12! to i. Crossbred. 48’s to 50’s— Super 14 to 154 Average 11 to 12! Inferior .. 7 to 10 Extra super . Up to 14J 46’s to 48’s— Super 11! to 14 Average 9 to 11 Inferior, 6! to 8 Extra super 10 to 11! 44 to 46’s— Super Nil Average 8! to 9i Inferior 5 to 7 40 to 44’s— Super Nil Average 5! to 7i Inferior Nil 36 to 40’s — Super Nil Average 5! to 6| Inferior Nil Hoggets,— 50 to 56’s 14! to 18! 48 to 50 12 to 16| 46 to 48’s 11 to 15 44 to 46’s Nil 40 to 44’s Nil 36 to 40’s ... Nil Lambs 46-50’s— Super Nil Average 12J to 13! Necks— Super . Up to 15! Average 12 to 13 Seedy and inferior .. . 9! to 10! Pieces— Good to super . 11 to 13 Low to medium .. 7 to 10 Seedy and inferior .. 4! to 6 Bellies — Good to super .. .. 8 to 10! Low to medium 5! to 7 Seedy and inferior .. . 4 to 5 Crutching— Good 10 Super ... 6 to 7! Low to medium 4 to 5 Seedy and inferior .. . 2 to 3 l Locks — Crossbred . 3! to 5!