WOOL SELLS WELL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15521, 31 January 1914, Page 10

WOOL SELLS WELL.

SECOND SAiE OF SEASON.

CONTINENTAL COMPETITION

AMERICANS INACTIVE.

OVER 11,400 BALES OFFERED. '

A record number' of wool buyers shouted themselves hoarse in the Town. Hall yesterday, and the v net result was that nearly £130,000 was added to the bank accounts of Auckland sheep farmers. On account of wool held back, from the first sale through labour troubles, the catalogue was large, and an exceptionally good clearance was effected of all lines. The feature of the sal© was the exceptionally good prices realised for lambs' wool, good sorts making up ,to llfd per lb, and seedy from 6d to 7d per lb. Trices on the whole, were very satisfactory, comparing favourably with any realised in New Zealand this summer, if an exception be made in favour of certain lines which always command relatively high prices at Dunedin, on account of their suitability for tile American market, and the competition of local woollen manufacturers. Strong crossbreds Drought prices fully equal to those obtained in any other New Zealand centre, if not & shade higher. Compared with the first | sale 01 the season in November, fine crossbreds sold level, strong crossbreds and three-quarter wools were id to Id per lb higher, shabby, coarse crossbred wools were from par to -Jd higher, bellies and pieces sold from par to jfl Higher. Range of Prices. The following table shows the range of prices yesterday (as supplied by the Auckland Woolbrokers' Association), with that ruling at the first sale of tiie season in November last, and the second sale of last season in January :— Jan., Nov., Jan.. 1913. 1918. 1914. Fine halfbred Merino — ' 10-12! '—• Jb me crossbred ... lOi-lli 9 -111 9 -111 (Shropshire and Bomney ... ... ... 9 .jqi g in Medium crossbred ... 10 -10J 8i- 94 9 -10 Coarse crossbred and Lincoln ... ... 8-10 8-819 -91 i Inferior, log stained, ' and cotted 71- 8 71. 74 7*. si tefc and 7 ' B M 3-» crmis ::: ::: 5 _ 6 J:fc'M ljoCl£B - 81- 41 4- 41 i- 41 Sees Competition. The catalogue yesterday totalled 11,482 bales, compared with 10,228 bales last January. lh6 r, offin « of the individual firms wew:-G. W. » inne y and Sons, 88 i**,'' * Albce Bl ? ckland m * Sops. 3172; Dalgety and Company, Ltd. (in conjunction with the Auckland Farmers' Union) 3710; New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, 3400. The buyers included representatives from Bradford, the Continent, i America, and local mills, fellmongers, and speculators competed keenly. The feature of the sale was the competition from the Continent, and this had a hardening effect on trices, this competition is attributed to the operations of a big German spinner. The offerings were, on the whole, not as good as last year, the wool being much heavier in condition. This was due probably to the absence of rain in August and September. The drought last autumn accounted for some of the wool berne earthv and tender. ! J Buyers' Complaints. '.-. Bitter complaints are made by buyers as to the manner in which the wool was P ut "P- '" I have had 23 years''experience in New Zealand,, and I have.never seen a collection, of nearly 11,500 bales of wool put up withsuoh little regard - for making it marketable," declared' Mri W. HilH president of the New Zealand Wool Buyers Association. "It was the worst catalogue I have ever seen, presented in New Zealand." Other buyers 'offered similar criticism, and added that there would have been even Keener competition if the buyers, could have depended on the quality of the bales throughout. Taking into consideration the condition and getup of the wool,' buyers considered the prices the highest paid in New Zealand this season. * Position in America. To the bad get-up of the; wool is attributed the comparative absence of American competition. An American buyer remarked that a good many farmers had the idea that they could put anything into their bales and the Americans would buy it all. There was no ground for such an assumption. Americans would compete for all classes that were well grown and properly prepared for the market, .but not for anything else. According to those conversant with the conditions, it could not be said that the removal of the tariff against the introduction of foreign wool into the United had any tangible effect on yesterday's sale. Those who expected to see keen competition from America overlooked, among other things, the fact that when the tariff was removed on December 1, there were 40,000,0001b of foreign wool in bond in the United States, equal to about six months' consumption under the existing conditions. THIRD WELLINGTON SALE. VERY LARGE CATALOGUE. [BY TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Friday. It is expected that the catalogue for the third Wellington wool sales, on Friday next, will comprise 20,000 bales.