THE WOOL SALES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3117, 10 December 1913, Page 23

THE WOOL SALES.

LONDON, December 1. At the woo] sales prices were unchanged, and there was good general competition. December 2. The following prices were realised for the fleece portion of the Ngapurua clip : Top price, lid; average, lid. Good sales are reported. Merino is very firm, but faulties rather weak; while cross-breds unchanged. December 3. The following juices were realised for the fleece portion of the clip named : —Orb, top price 104 d, average 9^. At the wool sales there was good competition for the best merinos, but shabbier sorts were rather slow. Crossbreds are unchanged. The series will close on December 9. December 4. The following price was received for the fleece portion of the clip named: —Tarans, top, llgd; average 10|d.

December 4. . At the wool sales the market waa irregular; best merinoe ere firm, wasty and faulty are weaker, and all crossbreds are 5 per cent, below opening rates. At the fifth wool sales of the series the following prices were realised for the fleece portions of the clips named : Severn, top, lOd; average lOd; Huiroa, top Hid ; average, lid; Gear, top, 13d; average, lid; St. Clair, top 13d; average, llfd. December 5. At the wool sales prices foT good merinos were well maintained, but heavy and shabby sorts were elow and irregular. Crossbreds were very ■ weak, and many lots were withdrawn. December 6. The top prices realised for the fleece portion of the Paparote clip was lOd and the average 9Jd. December 7. There is a good demand for merinos at late rates, but crossbreds are irregular. To date 117,257 bales have been catalogued and 105,614 sold. SYDNEY, December 2. The wool sales have reopened. Crossbreds are slightly easier: otherwise prices are unchanged. December 4. At the wool sales for all sorts showing fine quality and good condition the market was very keen, and there was better all-round competition than ther ■■> was last week, although very burry and faulty lots are still at a lower range. Scoured wool reached Is 9jd, and greasy wool Is 3d. CHRISTCHURCH, December 8. The offering for the first wool sale of the season, to be held on Wednesday, totals 14,409 bales. The total for the December sale. 1912. was 17,691 bales. WELLINGTON, December 5. The December local wool sales started at 9 a.m. to-day at the Concert Chamber, Town Hall. There was an aggregate eatalogle of 10,000 bales offered, or 1150 less than at the corresponding sale of last year, and this notwithstanding that no sale was held here as usual last month on account of the strike. Opening prices were about on a par with those of the Napier sales held this week, but were Id to lid below those ruling at the Wellington sales of December last. The quality ot the wool offered this year was not quite so good as that of the wool offered last year, and for this the weather was mainly responsible. In the Wuirarapa proper, for instance, the sheep generally shore very lightly this year. Where a farmer sheared 170 bales this year he sheared 200 bales last year off the same number of sheep. The wool, then, is lighter in grease and less in quantity and poorer in quality. The farmei will, however, be compensated for the balance agsinst him on account of the wcol by the strength of the meat market, good prices ruling tor ewes and wethers, and also tor fat lambs. Bidding on the whole was keen, but it was also obvious at the outset that the farmers' ideas of values were far above the actual market prices, and the consequence was that a chilling effect upon buyers was at times rather noticeable as lot after lot would be bid for a/id passed in. American buying was a practically negligible quantity, but the Continent was well represented, followed bv Bradford. Local mills bought well. The following is the rajige of prices realised to-day, compared with those ruling at the corresponding sale last year:

The New Zealand Lo:in and Mercantile Agency Company has received the following cable advice from its Loudon office regarding the wool sales:—"As compared with last sales' closing rates, prices are lower about 5 per cent, for greasy merino, inferior, fine greasy crossbred, and medium greasy crossbred. About the same for <.roesbred scoured, greasy merino super., coarse greasy crossbred, crossbred slipe, lambs, greasy merino medium, and scoured merino. Competition on German and French account is active. The demand on American account ifl restricted.'' Messrs Dalgety and Co. report having received the following cablegram from their head office, dated London, December 3: " Wool sale.? continue firm, except wools in heavy condition, which are irregular. All good wools very firm. Fine scoured wools rather higher" Messrs Dalgety and Co. report having received the following cablegram from their head office, dated London, December 5: - " The wool sales will close on December 9. Merino wools, good quality and condition selling freelv, wools of doubtful yield 5 per cent lo.ver. Lurry wools 5 per cent lower.

Dec ., 1912. Dee ., 1913. d. d. d. d. Halfbred medium 10i to 12 H to 103 Crossbred superior 11 to 13i ioi to Hi Crossbred medium 10 to Hi 10 to 10 1 Crossbred coarse ... 9 to 10 8 to 9£ Crossbred inferior g to 9£ n to 8i Crossbred pieces and l>ollies 55 to 103 5J to 8J Halfbred — 7 to 9j, Lambs, best — 10 to iii Lambs, medium 9 to 10 Lambs, inferior — 8 to 9