AT THE WOOL SALES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16114, 1 May 1923, Page 10

AT THE WOOL SALES.

BOYAL EXCHANGE COMEDY

HOW THE BIDDING GOES.

(By G. H. Hawkes, ia Sydney Sun.) "Dot one!"

"Twenty-three pence!"

"One-one-one-ono-ono-onc!" '' Aif -arf -arf -arf -ari'-arf.!'' '' Threc-three-thrce-thrc'o-three!'' '' I'enee-pcneo-pcnco-penco!" '' A-n-a-a-a-a-arf!''

'' T wuuty-four a half bid. You done.' Wool-buyers Trading Company."

How would you like to be in a big room, with dozens of foreigners, all bidding jn a most excited manner at the one time'.' If you attend tho wool sales, you will have that oxpericnee. In tho centre of tho big sale-room on the: second floor of tho Eoyal Exchange, where the sales are held, is the auteioneer's rostrum. On his left {<,re half-a-dozen desks, in which are sitting brokers' clerks. On the right, every nerve on tho alert, aro the reporters. And facing all these are dozens of buyers, who take no notice of anything but the prices offered, their catalogue, and the auctioneer.

Early in the morning tho buyers go to the store of tho firm who will sell en that day and mark the prico they think the wool is worth in their catalogue. This done, they lunch, and have just enough time to got to the sale by 3 o'clock.

If the sale does not begin right on lime the buyers get indignant) for they want to get away as early as possible.

JAPAN BUSY. .Immediately tho auctioneer announces tho hrst lot Japan—and there i.re several of that country's buyers—gets busy, unless tho M'ool is of poor quality. Japan does not like inferior wool. But you ought to seo Japan when a specially good lot is put up. Seldom can anybody but Franco ever outbid her.

If ever a buyer wants to learn to bid in a "winning" manner let him take lessons from one of tho Japanese buyers. He leads all tho way. If he wants a certain clip he will bo tho first and the last to bid. Ho doesn't care how much in reason ho pays.

One Japanese buyer, who is well liked, causes much amusement. If there is 1 any danger of his being outbid he roars out in such a manner that nobody can be heard above tho '' din.'' "A-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-arf!" the buyer yells, jumping to his feet, and waving his hands in a demented sort of manner, with his head j?oing nineteen to the dozen. He keeps this up for nearly a minute. It's uo ; good. Everybody else has to be quiet. Everybody knows that when this buyer is in that condition it's a waste of time to keep going. AND YORKSHIRE!

Another time, perhaps, not enough money is ottered, so tho auctioneer withdraws the lot. But the buyer does not worry; ho knows that when the sale is finished ho has a good chance of buying it privately.

Then (hero's Yorkshire. "ONE-oue-one-one-ono!" he calls. Then he will stop and point at the auctioneer. "One, I say." "Yes, sir," answers the auctioneer. And when a disputed bid occurs — well, then the trouble starts. '' \ said one, ' one.' One means one farthing. "But I got the bid from--," begins the auctioneer.

"'One,' I say!" This is from Japan. "Mo! It's miuc!" It is Belgium this time. He stands up. So does Japan. They argue, but no cud is reached. "I'll re-auction it," says tho auctioneer finally, for everyone else is tapping his desk and protesting. Later on— —

"Lot 0000 is a mistake," says someone. Then it is offered again. At times the buyer who purchased it in the first place, thinking ho has paid too much, buys it for less. And through it all tho public sits up in tho gallery and listens and looks on with an anu)3od air.

And so it goes on. How many will be sorry when this season ends in June? The buyers won't.