THE RABBITSKIN MARKET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19197, 13 June 1924, Page 5

THE RABBITSKIN MARKET.

Sm, —You show, from your own correspondent, dated London, May 6, prices 1h a 1 were quite incorrect at the date given. The article reads as if the rabbitskin trade was in a satisfacory position and prices were improving. The position is that there was a sale on March 19, and that two bales out of the total offering brought HOd for super does. From that'date to this there has a steady decline in rabbitsldn prices. The next sale was on May 28, so that your correspondent, writing on May 6, would have no knowledge of that market. Presumably, therefore, lie was writing about the March prices, and if if takes him until Hay 0 to send the March 19 market his news is hardly worth sending The London market of May 2S, at which there were only about 600 bales of New Zealand skins, was very much weaker than' in March, :and so far as the high-class skins quoted in your paper at 11 Od were concerned. they were absolutely unsaleable, there being no demand for them. With reference to the next item on your list — up to 98cl —very few o f these were sold, and the prices ran from 65d to 75d. My total sales at that auction were four bales. This in itself will show how bad the market was. I am mentioning these facts so that trapners and others interested in rabbitskins will have a proper idea. of values, and not be led away by news like this coming through as if it were up-to-date, I shall be pleased to coll the National Mortgage and Agency Company (Limited), or any other company, furrier skins at the nrices quoted by them in the article referred to. The prices are still good for rabbitskins . compared with other articles. In fact, rabbi tskins have been the most consistent tv high-priced of New Zealand products for years. Wool realised ltd. but rabhitakma still kent a good price, some two or three years ago. Another item is h’‘" "-inters a f 53d ( 0 713. -to winter* have never trough* “ 1 d for over two yews, e-te owing to the fan’ts in late winter skins being- shown up in the clipped and dyed furs, they are not likely to realise big prices. The Dunedin market has been above London for quite three months.—T am, etc, . E. S. Black. [Wo do not suppose that in the case of rabbitskins, any more than in that of other commodities, a market exists only at the dates of the sales. The quotations given by our correspondent were shown to ho those furnished by a remit able company.— Ed. O.D.T.]

TO THE EDITOR.