SALE OF TIMBER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2509, 16 April 1902, Page 32

SALE OF TIMBER.

M«*«srs Jamas Samson and Co. (on behalf of the West Coast sawmillers) conducted a feucces-jful sale of timber on the 9th mst. in Jetty street. There \%as a large attendance of buiideis, cabinetmakers, and timber merchants. Prim to starting the s,a!e, the auctioneer m<ule reieierice to the rumoui which had bpen circulated as to a portion of the Rosan.ond'b shipment of timber having been tent back to the West Coa3t. He btateel that of the :UO,OOOft brought by that >essel, all had been discharged at the Dunedin wharf with the exception of some 20,000 to 30,000 ft of ceiling panels in the bottom of the boat. This hau been taken to Lyttelton on account of the wet weather and the vessel shifting her berth, which made the discharging of this small balance of the cargo an expensive matter. The sale was then proceeded with, the bidding being brisk, and pvpry one of the 130 lots, comprising close an 290,000 ft of timber, was sold Ceiling battens brought 4s to ss , 3xl, 3 x li, and 3 x 2, 6s 9d to 7s ; 4 x 1, 4 x Is, 4x2, and 4 x 3, 7s to 10s , 5x 2, 7s 3d to Ss , 6x1,6 x 2. ar.d 6 x 3, 5s 9d to 8s 3d ; 8 x J, 6s 6d to 8s , 9 x 1, 9 x H, 10 x 1, 7s 6d to 8s , 10 x 1, dressed all round, "lO* 9d , 12 x 2, and 12 x 1, 9s 3d to 10b; 14 >: 1, 10s 9d to 12s (thp latter being the top price ieahse'l). Several lots of T and (!., 0 x J, 6 x ;d, 4 x gd, and 4 x I were sold at 'rom 9s Gd to lls 3d These prices represent a drop of from 3= to 4s per 100 ft on the rates pre\ lously ruling in Dunedin, the last 40 lots showing about Is improvement on the level ut which the sale opened. Some explanation of =111 h .1 decided drop in the market is to be found in the act that on the day prior to the sale local fnms made quotations to the tra-de at a distinct reduction on published rates FOl instance, one leading line, hitherto quoted at 13s 6d, wao offered at 7« 6d, and this reduction naturally fixed the prices realised at the iiuction sale, most of the buyers being appri'ed of the alteration. The agent for the West Coa-st saw millers stated that although the puces were hardly up to expectations, his clients intended bringing forward further shipments — indeed, arangements were already in hand 111 that direction. So long us tho Dunediri buvei" would support them and pmclusf their timber, the West Coast shw millers would continue to bring it forward