LONDON WOOL SALES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2426, 12 September 1900, Page 6

LONDON WOOL SALES.

(Feok Ouh Special Cokbespondent.) :' PRICES HARDENING FOR ALL' * ; - QUALITIES. • - LONDON, July 13*. The principal, business in connection witK Coleman street Wool Exchange this week hag consisted in a bringing of all sections of the trade into closer union'and concord, resulting in a decided less display of that onesided competition which marked not" simply the opening week of this present series, but likewise most of the past series of' this year. In this respect jßoubaix and Rheims topmakers have been c'rawn out of their shells, and have operated in good shafty merinos with considerable freedom, talcing liberally New South Wales fine wools in preference to most other descriptions. Then the character of the wools catalogued has shown considerable improvement. This series of sales has' to be termed a New Zealand crossbred" one, each day's offerings consisting of fully one half of medium and coarse qualities, but at the same time some of the first merino clips of Australia were shown alongside, while the cream of Tasmanian growths, selling up to a shilling in the grease, all helped to bring forth what energy and life were left. The result has been that a nrnch-improveci stato cf affairs has been seen, withdrawals 'have been lass frequent, competition at times very animated, with prices all round showing a decided tendency to harden, and here and there id to gd more being paid, especially for good shafty merinos. The better tone has likewise benefited the lower and medium, grades of crossbreds, the best conditioned parcels frequently selling on the level of lasb series, but fine-haired grades continue to sell only at full opening rates. All South African wools while selling freely at the initial fall continue to be largely withdrawn, importers being still unreconcilable to the altered conditions. The principal item of interest sinee -I last wrote lias been the decision of the Merohants* Committee to hold only five series of sales this year, the remaining series to begin on .October 9, with the quantity of new arrivals limited to 250,000 bales gross, half of which have already arrived. I leave colonial readers to put upon this decision what construction they like, selling brokers hero being desirous to save the slumping situation all they can. Buyers? here think that this is a mistake, and that the cornering has proceeded too long already. However, time will reveal the wisdom, or otherwise of this action. Sold by Messrs Dv Croz, Doxa-t. and Co., July 4 — Balmoral : Grease : 26 bales first combing H 10J<3, 146 do 9d, 29 second combing 9d, 5 first clothing 9d, 51 first pieces 9d, 22 halfbred first H 7^d, 11 do second H 7|d, 35 halfbred pieces Sd. Scoured : 5 bales halfbrecß first combing 16|d, 3 do second 1-ld, 2 do piece 3 14|d, 10 do J3 pieces 12d, 13 do S pieces lOJct. This clip was indeed excollent throughout, it commanding strict attention, several lots going to America. The prices made clearly indicate the character of the wool. X over spectacles:!' Grease — 14 bales crossbred first combing withdrawn, 51 do second clothing- 7Jd, 3 do clothing 64d, 47 Lincoln G^d, 12 do s|d, 6 crossbred first lambs 7Jd. For crossbreds these were satisfactory, but a finer quality — more of a halfbred nature — v.ovid put upon it a penny per lb all round. Glenross : Scoured — 1 bale halfbred lid, 11 crossbred A 9d, 25 do B Bd, 14 do Jl C Bd, 54 do 7|d, 27 do D 7£d, 14 do T 7gd!, 37 do 7Jd, 16 do 7d, 11 do necks 7Jd, 13 do piecea 7Jd, 13 do pieces belly 7^d, 9do 61d. When, scoureds only sell at the price of good greasy it may be taken for granted that/the wool is deficient somewhere, anH this was not 7 the best by any means. ML (joined) Bros over Kikuri: Grease— 3 bales 7£d, 10 crossbred 6Jd, 27 do 6d, 6 do 53d, 4 do 5Jd, 5 do pieces 4Jd. For crosabreds these were average wools, being very well-grown, with plenty of lustre, bu.fe not more than a. 36's quality. C P (in circle) over Awhea: Grease— l 2 bales crossbred A 6|d 23 do B 6id, 14 do E 6Jd, 25 do G 6d, 15 do D s|d, 3do pieces 4d, Bdo lambs 7£d. Fairly, creditable thoughout, but would suggest pi shade finer quality. Ngakoroa: ' Grease — 17 bales crossbred first 6Jd, 48 do second 6d, 20 do sid, 10 do first pieces 4Jd, 4 do 4Jd, 11 dc lambs '6id. A good average clip. Maniuori:, Grease — 30 bales crossbred first combing* 6J3, 2i do second combing s|d, 26 do sd, 2 acomect bellies Bd, 6 do second pieces 6Jd, 2 do locks 12d. This was a very similar clip to the previous one. Sold by Messrs P: H. Hughes and Sons, July, 5 ; — Cross in circle, over JST-Z A Co, over Oreti: Greasy — 11 bales quarter-bred combing first A' 9d, 5 do BJd, 4 do second B*d, 20 halfbred combing first A 9d, 29 do withdrawn, 26 do 7gd, 90 fine crossbred combing first 7|d, 16 do second withdrawn, 12 do 6|d, 20 do 6id, 14 three-quarter-bred combing first A 7d, 36 do 7d 37 do _ 63d, 9 do second 6fd, 31 do 6id, 7 do 6d, 8 Leicester s|d, 3 quarter-bred pieces 7M 47 crossbred pieces first 7d, 24 do second 5M o.£ do 5Jd, 3do black 5Jd. The classing of these wools was certainly very creditable, the v.-cols being likewise very good indeed. Sold by Messrs £L Irwell and Co., same day.— Knows! ey: Gieasc— ll bales halfbred 7|d, 19 crossbred 7d, 7 threequarter-bred Gd, 9 halfbred pieces sd, 21 crossbred do 4Jd. This was a very creditable clip of wool, a.nd showed care in its preparation for market. .The qualities generally were good, but if anything rather heavy in the grease. W over Roslyn : Grease— l 6 bales fine halfbred Bd, 21 do crossbred 7d 9 do threequartar-bred GJd, 7 halfbred and crossbrer- pieces 4|d. A good average, well-grown clip. A C over Banvie : 21 bales grease fine crossbred 7d. Well-grown, shafty, and sound, and good in quality for crossbreds. Threlkeld : 7 bales grease Leicester 6d. Danebury: 11 bales grease threcqnarter-bred 7d. Kaiwara : 19 bales grease halfbred H withdrawn. Allandale: 11 bales grease Leicester 6d. 2D over Akaroa : 13 bales grease crossbred 6d. Tikao : 7 bales grease crossbred 6d. 1\ over P^Chatman: 5 bales grease Lincoln 6£d. All these „wera good average grown wools. Sold by Messrs Buxton, Ronald, and Co., July 6.— Titi : Greasy— 10 bales A crossbred Bd, 16 E do 7id, 6 A do hosgets G?,d, 9 E do GM, 26 B do Gd, 29 do Cd, 43 do 7|d, 42 do 7d, 31 P do 7id,. 60 do 63d, 36 do hoggets 6Jd, 51 C do 6Jd, 5 "D do hoggets 6}d, 28 do 6d, 8 do necks 7d, 34 first do pieces 5Jd, 7 B do 5Jd, 14 do sd', 29 do 4Jd. 6 second do 4d, 15 do 4d, 13 first do lambs Sid, 21 second do 7^d, 4 third do 5Jd, Tk-is was a very large line of wool, and was certainly very creditably grown. It commanded) a good deal of support from both American, German, and Bradford buyers. The quality, was very good for cressbreds, the staple being likewise very well-grown and shafty. Tokomaru: Greasy— 23 bales first crossbred 7id, 7do 6|d, 9 do 6Jd, 17 first do L 6|d, 41 do Gid, 17 do Lincoln 6Jd, 13 do L 6d, 20 do sfd, 11 first

If you are troubled with blight on your fruit trees send to Niuiro and .Blaik for .a tin of "Montauk." It is a certain cure*

L hoggets 6£d, 22 do~6a, 10 do 5^5, 15 do s^l, 9 do Gd, '45 crossbred s|d, 7 Lincoln 57A, 10 crossbred pieces 4M, 13 do -bellies 4Jcl, 13 first do lambs 7d, 12 do 6cl, 13 do sja, 2 clo D W shd. This was by no means a bad clip, lyit was not so fine nor so light as the previotfs clip. Braemar over NZ : Greasy — 91 hales first combing 7ja, 34 second 7ia, 93 do 7cl, 10 first 7d, 7 do halfbred combing 7Jd, 4 second do 6^cl, 6 threequarter-bred do 6d, 2 scoured first combing 17d, 4 first combing 17d, 4 second pieces 16d, 6 third do 15d, 6do locks 14id. The merinos showed a very gooa 60' s quality, was a good length, very sound, but very yolky. The scoureds were very clean and attractive.

Sold by Messrs JBuxton, Ronald, and Co., July 10. — Rangatirif: Greasy — 19 bale 3 A crossbred 7ikl, 24 do 7d, 37 B do hoggets 7d, 26 do 6:2 d; 67 do G\d, 35 do 6*d, 4 do 6id, 28 G do 6;d, 19 D do 6id, 17 do 6d, 23 crossbred 6^l, 46 do 52a, 16 do s|d, 2 do DW s|d, 5 do B pieces 6d, 4 do- SM, 11 do B do i%&, 6 do s|d, 2 do 4Jd, 5 clo locks 31cl, 10 do 3*d, 6 A do lambs 7£d, 14 do 7Jd, Bdo 61d, 5 B clo 5?, d. This was a ■very large lino of wool, and for crossbreds was certainly good-grown wool". There was a capital lustre, plenty of length, the staple being soimd and full of density. It seems a shame that such wools should be selling from 6d to Td. NZ&A LCo over Till-Till : Greasy--27 bales first cgmbing 9d, 2-6 clo Bd, 6 C do 7Jd, 8.&0..71 A, 50 clo 7cl, 11 clo -7id. 31 first hoggets SJcl, 39 clo 72c!, 19 clo 7Jcl, 27 clo 7d, 13 hoggets 7lcl, 4S do 61d, 29 clo 6Jd, 6 first combing 7.1 d, 4 do 62c1, 5 first do Ba, 3 .clo 7^d, 11 clo pieces Bd, 10 do Bicl, 40 clo Scl, 43 clo 7?, d, 2 do 7cl, 2 clo 7id,, 6 bellies 7cl, 14 do Gid, 7 first lambs 7cl, 10 clo (jjd, 2do Gel, sßdo sJcl. For New Zealand merinos this mark was certainly a very la-rge one) for at least the quantity offered was the largest I have seen for" a very long time. The wool lacked nothing, save that some of the lots were i-atlier yolky, which is always a sure sian ol tlie'-wool being souncl and well-grown. Hiku: Greasy— l 2 bales A crossbrea Bgd, 5 clo 7cl, 40 B crossbred 7id, 18 do 6^d, 39 F do 7d, 1G clo 6id, 36 C clo withdrawn, 30 do 6\d, 17 clo ojd,, 14 D crossbred 6a, 7 crossbred necks Id, 6 do 6}d, 20 first crossbred pieces 5Jd, 16 clo 51-d, 10 second crossbred pieces 4Jd, 13 crossbred lambs 81(3,-14 do &&, 13 do 6id. For crossbreas all these lots were very well grown, and no improvement can be expected in them. Bee: Greasy— ls bales A crossbred 7ja, 19 Bdo 7id, 37 do 7cl, 63 C clo 6? ; cl, 42 do 6a, 12 Edo 6Jd, 17 do 6cl, 12 F crossbred 6a, 50 D do SJcl, 6 clo i;ecks Gicl, 43 ao «pieces 54c1,'10 do 4|a, 9 do lambs 72d, 31 do 7icl, 15 dp GJd, 11 do Gel. For cio3sbrecls there was a capital lustre, first class length, and everything a buyer wished for.

The task of writing a market report seems to b& an increasingly difficult one, so quiet and complicated in the situation in Bradford. , Buying and selling on 'Changeor elsewhere during the week has been carried on on the most restricted foale, all attention being centred in the metropolitan sales. As could only be expected the latest move on the part of the London brokers in deciding to holel only one more series of sales this yeor has come in for a &ood deal of discussion, and, to" be frank, the Bradford trade thinks the decision a most imwise one, and one bound to be pregnant with continued disaster. The constant limitation of wool has for the ■past three months been like a big black cloud hanging over the market, for users know that the stocks are there, and must- soonex or later come into the hands of- manufacturer-. What all consuming centres want is 'Confidence -pa settled basis for transactions, but the present attempt to rig the market and force ■prices is taken to mean" one more attempt -to bolster up -what is undoubtedly a weak situation. The days of fictitious values have gone, and we can only reiterate what we have said, so repeatedly of late that the "sooner the trade boldly faces the inevitable, fnd prices are governed by- real supply and demand, the sooner will the trade get on to a firm working basis again. Top-makers here are to-day pointing out to spinners that London prices are far above those in Bradford for 60' s tops. But this has not the slightest effect on the market, users affirming that they have absolutely no inquiry for merino yarns, and consequently standing aloof with the greatest complacency. It is exactly this _ that makes the situation so acute and tantalising, and at the same time more perplexing than ever. There is not an atom of speculation in che market, consumers being confident, schemes or no schemes, that when they want wool or tops the same will be forthcoming, and at about their ideas of what prices should be. Meanwhile they are not to be caught napping, and the present game of bluff is being watched very "sheepishly." Quotations for 60's tops are anywhere from 20d to 22d, it all depending who is the holder. A very good article is. freely obtainable for 21d, and possibly 20gd would buy the same top if a bona fide bid were made. Crossbreds of a medium and coarse grade are relatively better, some good sales having lately been consummated.. Irish woo' s.- are very slow, but late quotations are steady.