WOOL MEN HERE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 939, 8 December 1933, Page 7

WOOL MEN HERE.

Buyers Now Look Over Canterbury Clip. FULL OF CONFIDENCE. In the big wool stores near the railway station, men with dustcoats covering their everyday attire, or with their coats off and overalls protecting their faultless nether garments from the possibilities of grease stains, are looking over the first Canterbury clip with expert, eager eyes, and inscribing in their notebooks or alongside catalogue numbers figures that may spell the lightening of the load of many a pastoralist in the province. The woolbuyers arrived in Christchurch this morning. At Auckland they fanned the smouldering confidence of New Zealand into a steady flame, which did not even flicker when exposed to the winds of Wellington yesterday. On Tuesday, the date of the first Christchurch sale, they will do what they can for the South Island. There is not the slightest indication of a slackening of the demand, and with the fine wools the province has to offer, the buyers should be even ijiore popular before they leave Christchurch. The dates of the sales allow the buyers to go about their valuations in Christchurch with more leisure than usual. When the sales commence, the wool man is one of the hardest-worked people imaginable, and if they are close together he has a terrific rush with his valuation. As one man said last year, “ We work twenty-four hours a day. and have the rest to eat and sleep in.” Not So Strained. There is a lot of work to be done before Tuesday, but the valuers are not looking quite so strained this time. Perhaps the benevolent glow that their doings has spread over the whole country is casting a reflection. And they are a cheerful folk at any time. “ Tell them we are the farmers’ friends,” was the laughing advice flung to a newspaper representative by a group of buyers this morning. Comment on the Auckland sale and prospects for Christchurch were interesting. It is expected that the Canterbury wool will be decidedly finer than that offered in the North Island, except for a few clips. In Auckland there were some extreme prices, probably occasioned by the requirements of the local mills, “ In Christchurch,” it was stated by one interested person this morning, “ you should see a very satisfactory standard set for fine wools. It is doubtful whether there will be any extreme prices paid, but the average should be steady and should give the growers ample cause for satisfaction.” For the Continent. Owing to the dry winter experienced throughout the province, it is expected that the clip may be drier than usual and not as well grown, and possibly slightly more dusty. This means that there might be a slight weight shortage in the clip, as the sheep shear at less weight than when the wool is more greasy. On the other hand, the dry, fine wools should be ideally suited to the needs of the Continental buyers; and it is probable that factor will fully compensate for the shortage in weight. There is one section in which extreme prices are quite likely, and that is for bellies and pieces. The demand, which was heavy in Auckland and again in Wellington, shows no sign of slackening, and the requirements in this direction may make a big difference to some producers. Again, the competition of local millers for the super wools may send prices to the level that makes the farmer throw his hat on high. The Japanese are believed to be “ coming in strong,” and the good Continental, representation should ensure strong competition for the fine lines which will compose the bulk of the offering. It is usually reckoned that buVers working alone need about three days for the examination of the wool, and those with clerks two. Had the valuing begun here two or three days earlier, the task would have been made unenviable by the intense heat, but the overcast sky of this morning imposed no extra penalty. Some buyers have been held up for a day in connection with the big bulk bought in Wellington, but even an arrival tomorrow will give them ample time for preparation for the sale. Big Bench Expected. There will be a big bench of buyers for the sale. Already this morning the hotel lists of guests show the names of well known agents, many of whom are regular visitors to the city for the sales. Others who have arrived are staying with friends. A number of the buyers who have been most prominent at the recent sale in Wellington have been delayed in the North Island because of the work entailed in making consignments to the mills, but most of them will arrive in Christchurch during the week-end. Amongst those who have come from the north are the following:— United Service Hotel—Messrs O. Sommer and G. Graichen (Leipzig). R. B. Tait and A. G. Copeland (Sydney), L. van de Poole and J. A. Beaurang (Belgium). R. W. Dana (Boston), F Bartlett (Onehunga), K. G. Fulton and A. V. ‘Moulter (Dunedin). Warner’s Hotel —F. A. Lay cock (Dunedin), S. P. Warburton (Bradford) . BEST FOR YEARS. First Wellington Wool Sale. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON. December 7. An average rise on last season’s prices of approximately 100 per cent was seen at the first Wellington wool sale of the 1933-34 season, held in the Town Hall to-day. The sale was easily the best held in Wellington for at least four years. Every wool-consuming centre was represented at the sale, the bench of buyers being a very full one. Japanese competition was a potent factor in the sale, which was remarkable for spirited bidding. Competition throughout was very free and on the best lines unusually keen, many buyers obviously holding wide limits. The opening page of the first catalogue offered, while by no means the best of the sale, gave the following prices: Cross-bred wether 9d, ewe Sid, hogget Sid, ewe and wether Sid, wether Sid, ewe Sid, 7id, A ewe 9id, ewe Sid,

hogget lljd, ewe Bid, Romney ewe llid. Top price at the first Wellington sale last year was 12id for nine bales super Southdown, J. G. Parkvale, sold by the well-known stud breeders Messrs A. and J. Gray, Masterton. This was described as an "outstanding sale.” To-day eleven bales of super Southdown from the same growers topped the market at 23d. Two good lines of super Romney offered by Messrs A. and J. Gray to-day made 132 d. In Romneys a super line from Branscombe (Dr C. P. Knight) topped the market at 16d, as against 81d a year ago. The well-known Benopai merino clip from Marlborough sold well, top lines bringing from 16id to 171 d, compared with Bsd to 9d last December. Range of Prices. Following is the range of prices, together with that of the opening sale last year:—

Dec. 7, Dec. 11, 1933. 1932. rl. d. d. d. Merino. 60-64, 64-70— Super — — to 9 Average .... 16 to 181 7J to 8| Inferior .. 14* to 15J 6* to 71 Fine half-bred, 56-58— Extra super . 21 to 21* 10J to 121 Super 18* to 2<>i 9 to 10* Average 15 to 181 6] to 9 Inferior .... 12 to 141 51 to 61 Med. half-bred, 50-56— Super 16* to 18J 51 to 91 Average .... 14 to 16 61 to 81 Inferior .... 10 to 13* 4* to 61 Extra fine cross-bred, 4 8-50— Super 13J to 16* 6 to 7 Average . . 10 to 131 4 to 6 Inferior .... 8 to 9* 2J to 4 Fine cross-bred, 46-4S— Super ...... 11 to 14 4* to 6* Average .... 9 to 10* 3| to 41 Inferior .. 6* to S* 2 to 31 Med. cross-bred, 4 4-4 6— Super 9* to 121 <1 to 5* Average .... 8 to 91 3 to 41 Inferior . . 5J to 7* 1J to 2* Coarse cross-bred, 40-4 4— •Super .... 81 to 10J 3* to 51 Average .. 6* to 8 21 to 31 Inferior 41 to 61 11 to 21 Low cross-bred, 36-40 — Super 71 to 7* — to 4* Average .. 61 to 7 2 to 4 Inferior .. 6 to 61 — Hoggets— 48-50 124 to 16 41 to 81 Fine, 46-48 .. 9* to 14 3 to 71 Med., 44-46 .. 91 to 11* 21 to 5 Coarse. 40-44 — to 10 SI to 51 Dow, 36-40 .. — to 91 — to 41 Bellies and pieces— Merino Good to super 13 to 131 — to 5| I.ow to med. . — — to 31 Half-bred— Good to super 12 to 15* 31 to 5* Low to med. . 101 to 11J 2 to 21 Cross-bred— Good to super 7* to 111 21 to 5 Low to med. . 5 to 71 1 to 31 Cru tellings— Med. to good 51 to 7 2 to 4 I Inf. to seedy . 31 to 51 11 to 2 Merino .... — to 8J Half-bred .. 6 to 7 Cross-bred .. 31 to 6 1 to 2 Lambs— Down, 50-56 . — to 15 41 to 7 5 Fine, 4 4-50 . 11 to 13* 5 to 71 Med.. 40-44 lOJ to 12 3 to 4 Seedy and inf. 71 to 111 1 to 4