THE WOOL MARKET.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 November 1920, Page 5

THE WOOL MARKET.

latest home prices. THE FALL IN VALUES. By Tolegi'iipU.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night, rite Department of Imperial Government Supplies has received the following' cablegram from the Director-General ° u i i w dated November 11: Wool Market.—The sales commenced yesterday with a weal; tone. Prices for merino are 15 per cent, and crossbred -0 per cent, to 25 per cent, lower than at the close of the October series, (.'lean scoured prices now current are about as follows for top-making descriptions: Fine, fifty-eights 3s !>d, fifty-sixes 2s lid, fifties 2s 3d; medium, forty-eights Is lid, forty-sixes Is Bd, forty-fours Is fld; coarse, forties Is 3d, thirty-sixes Is 2d. Forty-eights upwards sell at about this basis.

"Spinners' Wool*.—Wools of these grades are in fair demand at 5 per cent, to 10 per cent, higher prices; fortefours aiul forty-sixes arc difficult, of sale at about the prices i(uoted, and to sell them freely prices would have to be reduced to about Is Cd and Is 3d respectively; forties and thirty-sixes are notwanted, aiid it is probable that, to effect sales prices would have to be reduced to Is and lid respectively. '•'The market for coarse wool is depreciated by a low offer from Argentina. Rather hurry forties and forty-fours are being offered and purchased c.i.f. Liverpool at iO'/.d per pound clean scoured We estimate the range of values at which greasy wool could be sold freelv as follows: Merino, Is Sd to 2s !)d per pound; fifty-sixes to fifty-eights, superior 2s Id to 2s Cd, ordinary Is fid to 2s ; fifties, superior Is 10<1 to*2s 4d ordinary Is 3d to Is fld; forty-eights, superior is -Jd to Is sd, ordinary Is Id to is 3d; forty-sixes, superior Is 3}d to Is 4d, ordinary Is o%d to Is 3d; fortvforirs, superior is lid to Is 2d, ordinary lid to Is Id; forties, superior llid to Is, ordinary !>d to lid; thirty-sixes, superior 1 Id to HJd, ordinary Sid to 10%.

SALE AT CHRISTCHURCH. VALUES SLUMP BADLY. Christchurch, Last Night. The first auction sale of wool since the expiration of the commandeer was held to-day, when close on 2500 bales were catalogued. There was a big representation of buyers, but business was confined practically to local fellmonger;ng firms and several local mills. Values slumped badly on commandeer values, representing ;i decline of quite sixpence a pound on medium and low grade wools. Super merino sold to ?-3rd last l\ovember s approximate value, but supeV half-bred was ik-wn quite sevenpence per pound, and crossbred.s were similarly affected. The Migring in halfbred values was due to local mills operating only to a very limited extent. Only .W0 odd bales of the catalogue were disposed of, and these consisted of pieces and bellies. All buyers had sharplydefined limits. The surprise of the i-alc was the lack of demand for wool of quality of sixties and upwards. A weak sale for crossbrcds was anticipated, but the drop was greater tliau expected, and competition was only forthcoming for the best- quality. Following fc the range of values: Super merino to 23d, super half-bred 12Jd to I.l'/.d, medium lmlf-'.;rcd 10% d to I-2cl, super three-quarter-bred lOd to ll%d. medium do. fid to 10-Ul, super crossbred 7d to Sy 2 d. medium crossbred fid to C'Xtd. first half-bred pieces Hid to 13d, second half-bred do. 7d to 11 yd, crossbred pieces 5%d to 'ld, forks 2Jd to OVj, crutchings 3d to 7%d.

Tuesday night?" was the next question, and this was the reply: "Oh, well, F am going to say I was not out." When the police pressed for "Yes," or "No," the accused asked, "Has anyone seen me out; were they talking to me?" Later, the accused did not question the accnr. aey of a single statement made by Mrs Eyre, except one where she declared she had spent a night with him at an hotel. Thorn declared he had always found her to be truthful. If he did not attempt to contradict her statements, then ho accepted them.

HEARING ADJOURNED. Reference was made by counsel to a conversation between accused and an hotel-keeper, alleged to have taken place m the presence of a newspaper man, and in which the accused was said lo have declared.- "If tliev get me''l will drag some other 'into it. There is someone nearer the rope's end than they think they are." What innocent explanation could be given to that remark? IT thero was any meaning to it, then the accused had been misleading the police from within twentyfour hours of the crime. Counsel commented at length on this statement and commented on the fact that in it Thorn did not suggest getting himself out of the trouble, but that he would get someone else, into it.

When Defective Cummings askef.l Thorn who committed the murder Thorn said: "[ won't tell you." He did not deny having made' the statement attributed to him, and he did not say lie was drunk. Counsel then dealt with the hoof marks discovered on the road after the murder. His addiess occupied nearly two hours and a half.

Among the witnesses called to-day was Mrs. Eyre, who related the story of the murder as told in the lower Court. She.was subjected to a lengthy cross-examination by Mr. Singer, anil was still in the box when the Court adjourned for the day.