BETTER WOOL PRICES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20481, 5 February 1930, Page 12

BETTER WOOL PRICES.

SALE AT DUNEDIN.

ANIMATION OF BIDDERS.

GOOD CLEARANCE AT AUCTION.

OVERSEA BUYERS ACTIVE.

[EI TELEGRAPH. —MESS ASSOCIATION.'] DUNEDIN, Tuesday.

Tho, secoud Dunedin wool sale of the season was held to-day, when a total cataloguo of 23,000 bales was offered. ".There was a full bench of buyers, re""prcsentinjj Britain, Europo and America, "as well as local mills, and a lew speculators.

At this salo a good number of wellknowu brands is always represented. Some halfbrcd and Merino dips from Central and South Otago canio forward in splendid condition, while the' offering of lustrous crossbreds was fully up to expectations. A rough winter and an adverse spring had detrimentally affected the hogget wool, which was more tender and thinner than usual, and not so \well crown.

Owing to reports from other centres of th cfall in values, a few growers withdrew their clips, but tho greater majority of the sellers decided to meet tho market. Bidding was wonderfully animated up to a pointj and was well spread. The local mills were strong competitors •for all superior wools suitable to their irade, while Bradford buyers lifted the major portion of tho crossbred and medium halfbred ' fieoce. The Continent .was a heavy purchaser of all kinds of pieces.

. • Tho prices realised at to-day'; 3 sale were hardly up to tho December rates, but viwero. better than have been ruling at other centres. Fully 75 per cent, of the . offering was sold at auction. Compared •with the December sale, prices were back from Id to 2d per lb., except for pieces, -which showed a greater decline.

-V Following is the range of values, compared with- those ruling at tho sale in December, 1929: — Doc.. 1929. Feb.. 1930. d d <l, d Jlermos—

bidding at sales.

ALLEGATION IN SYDNEY.

LOT SPLITTING BY BUYERS.

(Received February 4, 8.55 p.m.) ... ... .... ... . - SYDNEY. Feb. 4. The allegation is made in a Labour tiewsnaper in Sydney that certain abuses Vie prevalent at tlie wool auctions in the fitv the chief of which is lot splitting. - Under this it is alleged that a group of foreicti buyers meet before the sales ?': n 4iio aecregate amount of wool Sy ffi later, they parcel b cut among thomselves. When buying commences, one rep re "sentativo of -this group bids about 3d a : ]b ' below the price the group is prepared - ;to nay. Vociferous bidding goes on, "creating - tUc impression that fierce coinStition exists, but when.the bids reach the' level agreed upon, all the bidders but erne "drop out. He secures the lot. It is alleged that the Japanese. Government has" forbidden Japanese buyers to bid against one another. Federal Labour members of Parliament lire unofficially investigating the matter ' in the hope of producing evidence, that the growers are the victims of exploitation. Representative? of the growers have admitted to the Prime Minister, Mr. J. H. "Scullin, that lot splitting goes on at tho ■gales, but say they are powerlossi to stop ! it.

HOLDING BACK SUPPLIES.

MELBOURNE CONFERENCE.

MELBOURNE. Feb. 4

The conference of wool growers and fcrokers is being held to-day, to doviße 'plans to finance the wool which, it is contended,.must be withheld from the market until tho consumers are ready for fresh stocks. • i- i ■ The industry is courting disaster, its :iopresentatives assert, by continuing to force more wool on the market than the world's buyers require, with the result •that the surplus must be sacrificed at tho speculator's own prices. The growers have hitherto been selfTeliant, and have eschewed Government aid in the. marketing organisation, but rt. is believed that an appeal for financial assistance to tide thorn over their present difficulty may be decided upon by tho conference. They recognise that Mr. J. 31. Scullin's Ministry has shown a desire to help the industry.

SYDNEY PI?ICES FIRM.

GREASY MERINO MAKES 32d.

(Received February i, 31.50 p.m.) " SYDNEY, Feb. 4. At Iho Sydney woo! sales the off mint's Tvuio 8421 billets, of which 7897 were sold with 1374-bales sold privately. Continental buyers were . again active, with good support from Yorkshire" and the United ■States. Prices were firm with a hardening tendency for superfine wools. Greasy Merino made 32d.

Extra super,. . 13 to 151 16 111 to 13 Super/ £ Average .. 11 to 121 9 to 10} 9 to 10J Inferior 7J to SJ Fine Halfbred— 151 Extra fiitper . • 16 •i- Super 13 to 15 11? to 131 Average Hi to 131 9! to 11 Inferior 101 to 111 8 to 91 Medium Halfbred— Super Average • • 135 to 15| 111 to 14 11} to 12} 95 to 11 Inferior 101 to 11 7 to 9 Halfbred— 9! to 11 Super • * 111 to 14 Average .. 10} to 11 8}to 9} a. Inferior * . 9 to 9J G} to S "Fine Crossbred—.. " Super • • 11 to 12 9:1 to 10 5::- Average .Inferior 10 to 10} SI to .91 8 to 9 6} to 71 Medium Crossbred— 9} to 10 8 to 9 5i| to 7} Super •2? •. Average • Inferior 11 to 12 10 tolOJ 81 to 9 "Bellies and Pieces— - Merino: r Good to super 11 to 12} 8 tolOi 5 to 7} Low to medium 8 to 101 - Crossbred: • Good to super 81 to 101 G] to 81 4 to 6 tow to medium 6 to 8 Crutchings: Medium to good 7 to 9 4} to o 3 to 4} 2 to 31 Inf. and seedy "Locks .. 4 to 01 3 to G