(From Our Own Correspondent.) March 8.

Otago Witness, Issue 2509, 16 April 1902, Page 17

(From Our Own Correspondent.) March 8.

On Thursday last the second series of public sales ol wool and sheepskins, for the current year took place, when, I hear fiom Messrs Charles Balme and Co , the attendance of bujers was large and the competition animated. The total quantity offered was 4266 bales, New Zealand being vemesented by 973 bales. Merino skins ruled in average o per cent, dearer, the improvement being most noticeable on the shoiter growths. Fine crossbred skins sold leadily at 10 per cent., and coarse crosbreds at IK per cent. :n advpuce of previous rates. As compared with the values current at ihe sales held on January 16, the quotations now are — Merino, full and three-quarter-woolled, par to id per lb dearer , merino, half-woolled, Id per lb dealer; merino, shoit and shorn, Jd per lb dearer, crossbred, fine, full, and three-quarter-woolled, Jd per lb dearer , coar9e, do, Jd per lb dearer , crossbred, half-woolled, \d to id per !b denrer , crossbred, short an-d shorn, Jd per lb dearei , lambs, per lb dearer. Messrs Balrne tell me that the following dates are fixed for the skin sales of the yeai, to be held ?t the Wool Exchange — April 17, June 5, July 17, August 28, October l"6, and December 4, the first sale ior 1903 being arranged for January 22. Prices at the present series were Merino, full-woolled, 6d to 7d per lb; merino, half to three-quarter-woolled, 5Jd to 6id per lb, merino, short and shorn, 4Jd to sid per lb , crossbred, full-woolled, fine, 5Jd to 6Jd per lb, crossbred, full-woolled, coarse, 3Jd to 4|d per lb; crossbred, half to threee-quarter-woolled, fine, 4Jd to 5Ad per lb; crossbied, half to thrce-quaiter-woolled, coal be, 3d to 4Jd per lb, ciossbred, short and ahoru, 2^d to id per lb Messrs Weddel say that during the past fortnight there have been few transactions of any importance in the wool market. In Yorkshire and pbroad the demand for fine-haired wools continues good at firm pricts, but there is still little, if any, improvement to lecord with legard to coarse-haired produce. All that can be said is that large quantities ar:? going into consumption at about recent rates, -with an occasional turn in sellers' fa\oui.