HUNGRY FOR WOOL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 296, 15 December 1936, Page 8

HUNGRY FOR WOOL

Buyers At Christchurch JAPAN DOMINATES SALE HIGH PRICES RULE \VERAGE OF £25 A BALE I I’fcF Association. ] CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 14. Japanese buying completely deminatsa tne lirsu uiinsicnurcu wooj sale of the 1U36-37 season held to-day. buyers wiUi orders on benan gj Japan lifted the greater part ol an attractive catalogue at prices 6a to u per cent, above tnose at the December sale last year. Prices were the best since Like many sales when high prices rule, yesteruay s fixture was comparatively quiet and bias came aimosl witn restraint, nut tne runs from tne starting price proved that tne buyers were hungry lor wool and were prepared to old up till they secured it. japan bought steadily and took the better-class wools of all descriptions. For super lots there was excellent competition from local mills, and the Continent took a fair quality of pieces and fleece. There was some buying on behalf of America and Canada but their requirements were restricted to carpet types and special fleece lines. Prices have been established so much above parity outside New Zealand that Bradford buyers were quite unable to compete. Several Bradford men who, as a rule, have large orders had no orders at all and throughout the day Bradford competition was restricted to the very small amount of crossbred offered and to a very limited interest in some descriptions of finer wools. The market was completely at the mercy of the Japanese operators, who appeared to have no limits at all. Prices for lower grades of wool were on a par with those ruling at North Island sales. It is very difficult to compare the December Christchurch fixture with the three North Island sales that have been held already because there is little wool offered in the North Island of a similar type to the fine halfbreds and Corriedales that form the greater part of the catalogue here. This difficulty was particularly marked to-day w'hen the catalogue was almost exclusively made up of halfbred and Corriedale wools with only occasional lots of crossbred and Merino. Practically the whole offering of 28,610 bales was sold. It is estimated that the average value will be about £25 a bale compared with £l4 16s lid at the corresponding sale last year. Range of Prices Folling is the range of values:

Merino— Ex. Super Super Medium Inferior . . 1935 1936 to 241 211 to 23 184 to 21 154 to 18 15i 12* 10 to 17 to 15 to 12 Corriedale— Ex. Super to 19i to 26 Super 151 to 174 21 a to 23. Medium 12* to 154 191 to 21; Inferior . . 10 to 12, 17 to 19 Fine HalfbredEx. Super to 181 to 25’ Super 16 to 174 201 to 22’ Medium . 13 to 151 185 to 20i Inferior . . 10 to 12, 16 to IS; Medium HalfbredSuper 122 to 14’, 161 to 19 Average 10* to 124 141 to 16; Inferior . 9 to 104 12 to 14; Extra Fine Crossbred— Super 10 to Hi 184 to 20 Average 85 to 95 151 to 17i Inferior . 7i to 0* 13i to 15’ Fine Crossbred Super 91 to 10 153 to 18 Average ... 8 to 9 131 to 151 Inferior 7 to 7 : i 121 to 13; Medium CrossbredSuper 81 to 9 135 to 15J Average to 8 121 to 131 Inferior 6 to 7 91 to 12 Pieces— Super to 14 19 to 224 Good 101 to 12 164 to 18: Medium 81 to 10 144 to T6 Inferior 7 to 8 11 to 14 Bellies— Good to Super 9 to 11 144 to 18; Inferior to Average 7 to 85 11 to 14 Crutchings— Medium to Good 6 to 8 111 to 14 Inferior 4 to 55 9i to 11J Ix>cks— Best . .. j to 7 Si io 10 Inferior to Medium • ’i !o 41 61 t o 8