COMMERCIAL.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume V, Issue 573, 22 November 1897, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

WELLINGTON WOOL SALES. Murray Roberts and Co., Wellington, report: The opening wool sale of the season was held in Thomas’ Hall on the 19th November. Owing to the wet weather interfering with the shearing only some 1,20 L bales were forward, of which we offered 470. This season’s clip, us far as we can judge from early arrivals, is well grown, of sound staple, and somewhat lighter in condition than last year. The bulk of the wool offered to-day, however, was only of medium quality, and included a large proportion of more or less log-stained lots which failed to attract much attention. In contrast to these wools, several really nice, bright, and well-grown cross-breds elicited good competition and sold readily at 7Jd per lb—the top price of the day. Only a few merinos were catalogued, and these sold at last season’s rates. A feature of the sales was the inquiry for really good pieces and bellies, Buyers were not present in full force, several large operators having not yet arrived in the colony, while to-day’s catalogues were not large enough to attract the full complement of Southern buyers, Our local buyers were all represented, but showed little inclination for business, and most of the wool sold was taken by the English buyers. The following is a comparison between to day’s prices and those current at the opening sale last season, showing a drop in all crossbreed fleece of £d to Id per lb, and in half-breds of Jd to £d, while Merinos and good pieces showed no change: To-day's First sale sales. last season. Superior Lincoln & x-bred 7d to 7sd 8d to B£d Good medium Lincoln and cr oßß- bred • to 7d 7d to 7sd Good 4-breds - Gidlo7id 7d to 7sd Inferior and log stained x-brds 5d to 6d 6d to 7d Mdm. Merinos s&d to 6d s£d to 6£d Good pieces and bellies • • 4Jd toS-jd 4*dtos£d Locks • - • to 2£d 2d to 3d In connection with this table we would point out that there was a considerable drop between the beginning and end of last season and that to-day's prices are consequently not so much lower than where we left off last season. Growers were not prepared for the drop in values quoted above, and consequently more than one-half of the catalogues were withdrawn. As regards prospects for future sales wo are of opinion that with additional buying power prices will harden, but we cannot encourage sanguine expectations, and we do not recommend consignments to this market unless farmers make up their minds to accept somewhere about to-day's prices. The following are the principal sales effected by us : J.W.S., 2 bales slipe, 1 bale combed, B^d; do., 3 bales slipe, 2 bales combed, 6£d ; R.0.W., 4 bales greasy cross-bred, 74d; W.F.H., P.N., 1 bale half-bred, 7d; JWS, 1 bale cross-bred, 64d; Clareville, T R, 2 bales cross-breed, 6*d ; Aohonga, 1 bale Lincoln rams, bd; do., 21 bales Dingy cross-bred, 6d ; do., 6 bales B cross-bred, 6d ; do., 22 bales A cross-bred pieces, s£d ; do., 4 bales B pieces, 4sd; do., 15 bales bellies, 4sd ; do., 7 bales locks, l£d ; R, 1 bale cross bred, s^d; M, JW S, 1 bale dead, sfd; C \Y B, Cadmus 8 bales pieces, old ; do., 1 bale ewes, pt pcs, Akitio, 1 bale cress-ortd and pieces, 5d ; do., 1 bale dead, 3sd; do., 10 bales pieces, 4jd; do., 2 bales locks and pieces, 2sd; do., 5 bales locks, DF, 2 bales stained, 4jd ; Morrison’s run, 2 bales, crutckings, 4-jd ; do., 1 bale crutchings and tieece, 4sd; Clover brand do., 4sd. THE STOCK MARKET. Mr Matthew Henry reports as follows : Sales for the week were held at Pahiatua and Palmerston. At the former there was a fair entry, and with a good attendance the bulk of the stock changed hands. Bulls, however, were at a discount, those forward being of no breed class. The Palmerston sale was mainly made up of show stock, which were dispoted of at current values. Quotations as under : Pahiatua.— Cattle—2s-yr steers, £2 12s; yearlings, 18s to 225. Sheep—hoggets in the wool, (is 3d to 7s 9d; shorn hoggets, 4s Id ; shorn ewes with lambs, 4s. Pigs—porkers, 13s. Palmerston.—Cattle weaners and yearlings, 13s. Sheep—Hoggets in the wool, Os 9d ; Mr CollinV (Kaikoura) prime fat wethers, 8s 9d to 9s ; do. ewes 7s 5d ; Mr R. Smith’s 6-tooth Lincoln ram, jEO Os. Pigs—Mr Lancaster's purebred Berkshires, lg to 2}gs.