LONDON WOOL SALES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2293, 10 February 1898, Page 6

LONDON WOOL SALES.

(Fhom Our Special Coreisspondbnt.) London, November 26.

A SATISFACTORY START.

Ycrk-,b.ireßQ«n — and particularly those bailing from Bradford — can pub up with a scries of salts st&rting on a Thursday once in a year ; but for a regular thing some reasonable grunting would soon be heard. However, a good average number leffe the various centres to be ready for the start, while several preferred to stay at home o^er Sunday and have a full week before them. Chatting with Eevtral on ' Change an to the prospects, it wa3 freely admitted that owing to the relapse in the price of tops tome uncertainty existed as to whetter last lale'a pricas would be obtained, bub the general opiuion w<-s thab the very short supplies would hf-ve asbrouff tendency t->keep upvalues. Bradford ab biie moment is in poor fei.tle for buying, bub for all thab several eafa they must have m bib of w>>ol at Rome price or other.

Before a fairly full room th& final series for the year opened its career last night. A quod average catalogue was submitted, comprising mostly ntw clip Wfol. At ths very commencement those wanting wool were tempted to launch, oub, and before long ifc was clearly to bfc seen that for the best combing, light-conditioned wools ko ch&ngo in price had taken place ; but the home trade were not liberal buyeri, and ths buying honou>a fell to tho Frcoch aud German operator, who were evidently wanting the best wools. A few Anvsiicaos are on the spot, bub these let matters lest quietly to &cc how things iefclly wtnt. All tLfng* considered everybody fclb fuily Bsti--fi':d that under the ctrcunistf-ncss, tra<?e be ; ng iv all the consuming centres so bad, a good start hs,4 been madf, and when prices came to be compared ifc was found tfaafc the best* wools had realised lasb gala's parity. B&.rthy wasfcy wools v owing loa gre?.t*r shrinkage than buyers- expected from Oc-ober-boughfc newclip wools, Bold at a fiva per cesf; reduction, bub scoured* weie urchanged. Crossbreda also eceupy the same position as merino*. Cape wools show n» change, except the heavy grease, which, if anytbiug are in. buyer's favour. The mail closhjg to ds.y render* ifc impossible to give any selliag particular* till next week.

WOOL VALUES,

The movement o£ wool in Bradford is decidedly poor, and the market ag..un feaa been quieter — if thab c&n post.ibly bo. Market men recently seem to have gofc so sick with tho total absenca- of business on 'Change thab tbey fai»va refused to come evea on market days, and all round thing* are lifeless. No-bu&iness caa pogsibty b& dono except at a. lower scale of values, and these- holders are reticent ab taking. Bub it is no u*e Lliuking the facb thab priooa hava falien con»idcc*bly since the- close ol the last; serks o£ Loadon sales; and Bradford looks upfu the opening series this week in rabber a dubious manner. Ordinary merino tepa are alraost unsaleable, wifcfa. no inquiry -^haeevcr, while crcsabreds are standing ab as low a figure ** ever they did. Mere sn^ehinerv- is- standing idle, consumption ia more contracted, and ail round (with the exception of mohiviß) dead quietuess prevails. The following table s-howa the course or" prices during the pas'o month, and represent* the general asking prices of today :—: —

Lincoln hoges Lincoln wethers ... Deep-grownii hog<;s Deep-growa wethers WTnte super hug<;s White scpt-rwiithers Itnh hoKKS Irish wethers Pick Shropshire hoggs Pick Shropshire wetheis Oidinary half bred llOßgrf Ordinary h a l f br e d wethers Wiltshire Pown teg^ Wiltshire Down ewes Ordinary CO's, Buenoo Ay res tcps Oidinary (JO's, colonial toiis Super 60's, colonial tops ... Ordinary 40's, colonial tops Ordinary 32's, colonial tnps Turkey averajfe mohair . . . Cape tli-sta mohuir. . Description of Staple. d. 91 !)i 9 9. !)" 10 9J 10 O O «3 a II !> 91 9" 10 nil 10 1 s S o I X d. I 91 9i i) si 9 10 !>i Si a r-( n ja a > o d 9 9 »i 9 9 «) 10 Si 9! to ci s O (1. it 9 ? 9 8 Si »i 9i 91 81 9i 9i 9 9 9 Si HI 11 9 Jt 10J 11 10! 82 11 10. 1 . IP 10* 17s! I 17i! 17 17 17 lSil 1»' ist 18 18 CO 20 194 m 19J l^i 121 H 121 124 is 17 111 18" 17 19" 18 1H 19" 18 1U 19" 18