THE WOOL MARKET.

Northern Advocate, 17 December 1887, Page 2

THE WOOL MARKET.

Just now, that which interests the farmer . more than anything else, is the prico of , wool, and the state of the London ■wool 3 market, as it is the only thing which he can now depend on getting cash for. "Wo [ are continually endeavouring td gather I from Reuters telegrams the information j required, but utterly fail. On tti c openly ing of the. present series of sales, the > number of bales catalogued, sold, or withj drawn is stated clearly enough but the j prices are always so stated that nothing '• can be made of them. The wire usually runs thus: — "The w6ol market on r Tuesday was fair, bidding spirited. At the [ close of the sale prices were fully ljd I higher than closing rates last season." \ After a few days we get something like I the following : — " At the wool sale i yesterday business was brisk, and r previous prices exceeded by £d per lb." 1 On the 9th inst. is wired : — " The sales J^ closed firmly this day at the level of last E series. For long staple merino light in r grease and greasy the market is fimer, especially for the new clip." On the • 10th:— "Greasy wools generally closed > at about the same rates as last sale, but • Port Phillip and Sydney greasy show an 5 advance of one halfpenny. Scoured > wools rule one halfpenny jugher, while 3 crossbreds close ,on 'par with the previous sales." It really does seem f strange that so little common sense is ex- ' 1 hibited in so important a matter, and E that costly telegrams should be rendered 3 so useless. How is it possible that a i farmer can discover in such cablegrams ■ f the information he seeks. The infor--3 ination contained in these cables are as > valueless as the Irishwoman's reply to , .the minister as to the age of To.miriy., • "Why your honour, 'Tommy was bom r when the.yellow hen had thirteen chickens 5 and one died, a week after the old sow [ had fifteen pigs, and a. year after Polly let the p<st fall and scalded her. foot, and t there's the mark on her now." How I different is the cable from ; Australia, > dated the 12th inst." : " Messrs ■ Dalgety E aud Co held their usual weekly sale of | wool to-day. The rooms were largely | attended, and lively competition was r elicited for all lots". Prices all round , were rather better than at last week's sale. / ■, I The catalogue comprised 1385 ' bales,' 3 whereof 1100 were quitted at excellent J prices. Good speasy realised 10d per lb; I medium to good, 8d to 9Jd; inferior to medium, 6dto 7£d; crossbreds, superior quality, lOd ; medium to good, 8d to 9jd ; ] coarse, 6Jdto7Jd; washed merino. 14Jd; t , scoured, 16Jd." This is common sense . • and understandable. A change in this j; matter would be an incalculable boon to 3 the producer if not to the . broker, b Possibly this is the secret — the broker > does not wish to place us in possession of • prices.