LONDON WOOL SALES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 5

LONDON WOOL SALES.

(From Otjb Special Correspondent.] LONDON, February 8. INCREASED COMPETITION: PRICES

FIRMER

The sales were resumed last Monday after standing over for one day in consequence of the Queen's funeral, but with a decided decrease in numbers, the room being a good deal thinner. This led to a somewhat quieter sale than what had obtained during the pre\ ious neck, though in the aggiegate there was brisk competition for the best kinds, the qualities mostly neglected being faulty scoured and inferior grease, of which ecveial paiccls v. ore withdrawn. Otherwise th-3 demand for super and medium grea»e and fcoured was lhcly, and late' ra+es were obtained.

The next day's sale saw a good accession in numbers, several fresh faces from the home consuming centres having tinned ut> on the previous night. This led to a far brisker sale with increased competition between home and German buyers, prices, if anything, goin^ against buyeis. The home trad? throughout the week has led the van, and been the largest purchaser, talrmg eveiy grade of wool at full market rite?. Every day has seen catalogued some really firstclass parcels of merino, the competition bein i shared in by every section of the trade. It has really been a satisfactory feature to Re 5 the increasing inquiry for all wools "Showing anything like character, while e\en locks and pieces have been briskly called for at full rates. In crossbred? the finest grade", when h^ht, attracted an active demand fiom all quarters, particularly from America, and thj initial prices were maintained, but all shabby, wasty lots and medium grades have given way by about 5 per cent Coarse descriptions have lately picked up, owing to an active, all-round demand, including America for the best lots, and the closing values of the la=t series are now being paid. Some good quantities of Capes have been brought forward during the week, but the selection has been indifferent, consisting mostly of heavy grease and faulty scoured". The first-named has pro^ ed of difficult sale, and a large proportion has been withdrawn, selling prices being frequently 5 per cent, under the last closing values, while the faulty scoureds generally fetched Id legs than at the period named. All

good wools sell the best. Closing letter next week. , Sold by Messrs Charles Balrne and Co., Janu- ' ary 31.— 8e1l over Owhao.ko- Scoured — 13 first combing 13Jd, 6 do 13d, 2 D do 12* d, 17 second do 12id, 12 third do 12* d, 2 do 12d, 3 D do 12d, 20 do 13d, 19 do 12Jd, 5 S do 12id, 4 do 12d, 6 damaged 12W, 5 first pieces 13d, 4 second do 12Jd, 2 do 12d, 27 S pieces lljd, 13 do 10£ d, 13 do belhas Bhd, 27 halfbied ll^d, 32 third do 9Ad, 6 S do 7£d, 4 S do pieces 7|d. These were in particularly good condition, every lot, so far as the scouring went, being m capital order. A few of the lots were rather seedy an 1 wasty, the lest being fairly good. Sold by Mess-s Willans and Overbury, same day.— Halfmcon over SAI Scoured— 7 bales A combing 13d, 49 B do 13d, 31 C clothing ICJd, 5 D 12Jd, 11 S 12Jd, 3 do 12»,a, 18 first pieces 13d, 17 tecona do 12.k1, 12 bellies laid, 13 locks lOd, 2 DL 2d, 4 PKS BJd, 4 halfbred withdrawn. These merinos were very'good quality, sound, but lather yolky and fatty. A little- better condition a.;d mora attention to handle should be given. Sold by Mes3is Thomas ard Cook, January 30.— Tarndale Scoured— lo bales first comb-

ing 13d, 21 second do 13d, 7 do 12d, 2 do HJd, 11 fiist clothing 12d, 12 second do withdrawn, , 2 do Hid, 72 first pieces withdrawn, 13 second I do 13d, 9 S do 12Jd, 3 do lOJd, 28 bellies j withdrawn, 3 second do lljd, 24 locks withI diawn, 5 do A lOd, 4 do B 9d, 2 do 3d. This clip was v?ry similar to the previous one, con- | ditioii and hpnclle being the worst features. Veiy good quality, shafty, and well grown, but fatty and yotky. Sold by Messrs Buxton, Konald, and Co., same day.— Marainanga ■ Greasy— 3l bales first haJfbred combing 7Jd, 25 do 7Jd, 4 do 7d, 35 do 7d,'13 do combing 6£d, 39 second do A 7d, 24 do 7d, 20 do combing 6|d, 27 do 6Jd, 35 first thres-quarterbred combing A 6|d, 28 do 6fd. 36 first do combing s^d, 8 do hoggets 6|d, 42 do 6|d, 18 crossbred 6d, 18 do 5Jd, 42 first Lincoln 6d, 36 do combing; 6d, 28 do 6Jcl, 48 second Lincoln A sld, 24 "do combing s|d, 53 do Gd, 16 do 5Jd, 15 first crossbred pieces A SJ-d, 14 second do A sd. 11 do 4£d, 12 do B do 4id, 5 do 4|d, 17 do 4d, 8 third do 3Jd, 2 do 3d. This was a large line of wool, and commanded a good deal of attention. Some of the lxjts -were better than others, the halfbieds being fairly decent stuff, but not over satisfactory in condition, particularly some of the latter lots. Sold by Messrs Jacomb, Son. and Co , February 1. — W & CH • Grease — 12 bales crossbred A 6Jd, 19 do B 6Jd, 5 do C 6d. 2 do 6cl, 4 do pieces 4id, 3 do bellies 4Jd, 4 do 3Jtl. Tho first few lots were good, shafty, well-grown ■wools, every lot making full rates. Keep up quality as much as possible. Brancepeth over Prince of Wales Feathers- 15 bales grease Southdown Bd, 28 slipe crossbred first lambs A 7|d. The first lot was a very uniform one. and made a fair good piice. Thp staple was not over long, but in average quality. Sold by Messrs Dv Croz, Doxat, and Co , February 4. — Diamond over cro3s: Grease — 10 bales crossbred first Bid, 8 do7d, 9 three-quarter-bred do 7d, 13 Lincoln do 62d, 13 do 6}d, 8 crossbred first pieces s§d, 2 Lincoln do 5Jd, 2 do second do 4?d, 12 scoured crossbred first crutchings 6Jd, 11 do sid, 9 second do sid. Little fault could be found with this clip, the first few lots being really first class. L over Okawa Grease — -17 bales crossbred A 6id, 4S do 6?d, 48 do e'.d, 12 do B 6Jd, U do 6Jd, 63 do Gd, 50 do s|d. 9 Lincoln 6d, 8 do rams s|d, 13 crossbred 53d, 12 do 5Jd, 14 do first pieces 4Jd, 20 do Bdo 41, d,4 I ,d, 3do 4d, 7do second do 4d, 9 scoured crossbred s|d, 4 do sid, 2 shpe crossbred 6Jd. All these were good useful wools m fair order, and sold readily. Sold by Messis Buxton, Eonaid, and Co., February 5. — B in circle Greasy — 1 bale mciiro 7'jd, If halfbred 7d, 5 A ciossbred G'ki, 42 do 6;d, 55 do withdrawn, o B do S^d, 12 A three-quartprbred 7d, 11 rlo GUI. 2? do 6d, 11 Leicester 5Jd, 13 do 5Jd, S crossbred sid, 8 do pieces 4\d. The Bradford woo! market is pcrhnps hardly to glum and depressed as was the co so at last writing:, but for all that it is quiet pnovgh, in all conscience. No doubt the belUr CMdcn.-e of lite and the firmingup of -\aluca la?t week end at the London c a!es has produced a pninewhat healthier feeling, but as lpgards any fuither real, solid improvement by topm.ikers being able to obtain better puces, this i« altogether beside the question. All that can be said is that spmneis seem moie ready to do business at current rate=, which Mmply means that if a topmaker wants to sell \p must accept lScl foi a good «t\ndard 60's top, a pnee which is too low by a penny to be at all satisfactory. On all hands theie i.s the utmost degree of conservatism manifest in bu=mess in wool, pimply because topmaker.= cannot accept present puces unless th^v aie pieparcd to make heavy sacrifices. If spinners would pay 18£ d a good trade could be doi c, but in face of picvious contracts made at about to day's price, there is little disposition manifest to anticipate future needs by further buying forward. The fact is, outside manufacturers are anything but brisk, there being plenty of standing machmery aiid orders very scarce. Consumption does riot expand as could be desired, and commission woolcombers are far from having plenty of work-. The actual state of the wool-combing industry is well poitiayed in the latest lcport of the Yorkshire Wool combers' Association, Limited, announcing

their inability to pay any interim dividend on the past half year's working. This has created no surprise, simply because all through the pa«t six months the industry has been anything but brisk with working expcn&es high. The position of crossbreds is little different to merinos. When we state that 40's tops are at th 9 lowest price ever known it

must show a very unsatisfactory state of affairs, and at 9^d to 9Jd a good article can easily be purchased. So far as consumption goe? there is, if anything, less machinery rui-mng on crossbreds than has recently been the case, this reflecting itself on tha market. Taken altogether, the Bradford market is very quiet, trade is fiat in every department, and what i 3 going to be the real outcome of the recent national mourning remains to be seen.