WOOL APPRAISEMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 287, 5 December 1939, Page 8

WOOL APPRAISEMENT

FIRST OFFERING AT WANGANUI MORE THAN 20,000 BALES APPRAISERS TO BEGIN WORK ON THURSDAY More than 20,000 bales of wool are to be submitted by brokers in Wanganui on Thursday, when the first district offering is to be appraised for sale to the Imperial Government under the war commandeer. It is reported from Napier that very satisfactory prices have been obtained in Hawke’s Bay. Finer wools se/.n to be in demand. Hawke's Bay wool is cleaner than that offered in Wanganui and the average price is perhaps a half-penny to a penny better. Method of Appraisement. Appraisement of clips has taken place at Auckland, Wellington and Napier, and also in the South Island, since the work began at Auckland towards the end of last month. Appraisers have been able to divide their forces and work in two centres at once. They go through the stores and mark the yields and counts of the various clips. The chief appraiser then sets the scheduled price against each lot on a specially prepared form. This is handed to the broker responsible and, in turn, the prices are communicated to the growers. It is believed that the appraisers will have to deal with about 800,00 b bales throughout New Zealand. Mi. Herbert Hill, who was in charge of the appraisers when the work began at Auckland on November 18, said I hat he hoped growers would cooperate by furnishing as much wool as possible right away. It is particularly important, he said, that farmers pay attention to skirting. Cheque of £13,000,000. Under the war-time scheme of purchase, the appraisers classify the wool in store into the grades set by the Government. The wool is then automatically sold according to the appraisers’ classification at the grade price fixed. The average price has been stated by the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, to be about 12.25 a per lb. New Zealand currency, so that growers are expecting a Dominion cheque of well over £13,000,000. A Strenuous Time. “The appraisers in Napier have had a particularly strenuous time, having been appraising in Auckland, Gisborne. Tokomaru Bay, Tolaga Bay and Napier since the season opened a fortnight ago,” said Mr. L. C. Rolls, chairman of the Hawke’s Bay Woolbrokers’ Association, in an interview. "They have worked without, a break, Sundays included, and on Thursday, after they had finished a heavy day in the wool stores, they turned to and worked until after midnight determining prices. The brokers have had the fullest co-operation from the appraisers and fully appreciate the efficiency with which they are handling the very heavy task ahead of them." Mr. Rolls went on to explain the amount of work that was involved in lhe appraisal of a total catalogue of 23,600 bales, which was the entry for the Napier appraisal. Since the beginning of appraisal on Tuesday morning last, the appraisers had been working through the stores, examining thoroughly each lot and marking in their catalogues the various grades, types and yields. Notes When any individual catalogue had been completed, the supervising appraiser again went through the various lots and compared notes with the brokers’ valuers, so that growers could be thoroughly protected. “For example, a lot may be defined as ‘grade 8.8., type 44.46, yield 70,’ ” said Mr. Rolls. "As the appraisers have a schedule of prices for each grade type and yield it is then just a matter of the appraisers referring to this price schedule and determining the price. After this has been completed, the appraiser calls over the prices realised with the brokers’ valuer.” "In order that growers may have their prices as soon as possible and not have to wait until all the catalogues have been finalised, the brokers agreed amongst themselves that as soon as the appraisal of each catalogue was completed, that catalogue be handed to the broker concerned, so that he would communicate the prices to the grower.