WELLINGTON WOOL SALE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22546, 13 April 1935, Page 9

WELLINGTON WOOL SALE

BEST OF THE SEASON ALL-ROUND INCREASE IN PRICES HEAVY FRENCH BUYING (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 12. A strong finish to an unsatisfactory season was made at the fifth and final wool sale in Wellington to-day. This was also the last of the Dominion series of auctions for the 1934-35 season. Had the market been as strong and competition as keen at the previous sales this season as it was to-day the results to all concerned on the. selling side would have been much more satisfactory. Not dnce the memorable Wellington sale of January last year has such vigorous and excited competition been seen. Many buyers appeared to have very elastic limits, and to be grimly determined to get supplies of wool. At times there was a perfect " drum fire " of bidding, and the physical effort involved in the almost frenzied gestures and shouting was a visible strain on certain constant and eager buyers. t The offering was a small one, (he quantity catalogued being just over 9000 bales, compared with 16,000 for the_ corresponding sale last year. Very little merino or halfbred wools were offering, the bulk of the catalogues comprising largely topmaking . crossbreds. There was a fully representative bench of buyers. The sale went with a swing from first to last, and was all over in two hours.. The French interests were . the main driving force, and made the pace a hot one throughout, their representatives lifting a large quantity. Bradford buyers were not to be denied, however. They operated extensively with very keen bidding. Other Continental interests were very active. Orders for Japan were also filled, and some buying for Germany appeared to be done. .

The general impression appeared to be that Continental buyers had to get wool while " the going was good," especially in view of the uncertainty surrounding several of the "gold bloc" currencies. Prices generally were at the highest point of the 1934-35 season. One broker said that crossbreds were a farthing and halfbreds a halfpenny ahead of the prices at Dunedin last Monday. Compared with the March sale the ■ Wellington prices showed the following advances:—Extra fine crossbreds, Id to IJd; fine, medium and coarse crossbreds, fd to Id; low crossbreds, fd; hoggets, Id; bellies and pieces, id to lid; crutchings, par tojd; and locks, |d. The passings were chiefly due to the high limits set by growers, and were comparatively few, and a good clearance was made at the auction.

The following is the official range of prices compared with that for the March sale:—

LAST AUCKLAND SALE BIG DROP IN REVENUE (Special to Daily Times) AUCKLAND, April 12. The last Auckland wool sale of the present season netted to Auckland woolgrowers £87,684, which is just over half the amount realised at the corresponding sale the previous year. The average return per pound, which was just over 5Jd, compares with a little over 7Jd per lb in March, 1934. It has been a disappointing season all the way for woolgrowers, and the total receipts' at £344,029, though a shade higher than in the 1929-30 season, when wool touched bottom, are nearly £600,000 short of the annual amount realised the previous season.

March.l d. 935. April. 1935. AAA Merino — (1. ' Average .. 9 to n 9| to 101 Inferior .. 7 to 8 , — to 8 Fine Halfbred— — 10 to 12J Average .. 8 to H 91 to 10} Inferior .. 7 to 71 7 to 8| Medium Halfbred, , 50/56- — — 10 to 101 Average .. 7f to 93 71 to 91 ■ Inferior .. 5| to 71 6 to 71 Extra Fine Crossbred. 48/50- — — 7! to 81 Average .. 61 to 71 7,1 to 91 Inferior .. 4* to 6i 51 to 7 Fine Crossbred, 46/48— 7 to 81 61 8} to 81 Average .. 5| to 61 to 8 Inferior .. 4 to 51 4| to 61 Medium Crossbred 44/46- — 61 to n 7 to 71 Average .. 5 to 6 55 to 6| Inferior .. 3f to 41 4 to 5l Coarse Crossbred, 40/44- — 51 to 7 Average .. 4} to 51, 5J to 61 Inferior — 21 to 4| Low crossbred, 30/40 — Average .. 4 to 41 41 td 51 Hoggets, 48/50 .. 5J to 9 61 to 10 Fine, 46/48 51 to 8 61 to 81 Medium, 44/46 4J to 7i — Coarse, 40/44 5 to 61 — Lamba down, 50/56 61 to Hi 6J to 81 Fine, 46/48 51 to 9 61 to 8 Medium, 40/44 .. 31 to 61 — Seedy and inferior 21 to 51 4 to 6 Bellies and pieces- — Merino good to super .... — — Merino, low to medium 5| to 61 51 to 6 Halfbred, good to super .. — to 61 — to 8-1 Halfbred, low to medium .. 3 to 5| — Crossbred — Good to super 3| to 6 4f to 61 Low to medium 21 to 4 21 to 4J Cm tellings— Medium to good 4i to 61 41 to 61 Inferior and seedy .. 2 to 4 2 to 4-1 Locks— Crossbred .... 21 to 31 21 to 31