THE WOOL TRADE IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Waikato Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 3490, 6 November 1894, Page 3

THE WOOL TRADE IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

The Sydney Mail says :-Since our last issue the summer series of wool sales has been commenced in this centre, and so ■far as the Sydney and Adelaide markets are concerned the colonial wool reason may now he said to have fairly opened In Melbourne no new-clip wools have as yet beeii dealt with, but it is understood that the weekly auction sales will be inaugurated in that market'next week, as stocks on hand there are now considerable. Whilst growers are this year to be congratulated on a clip remarkable alike tor quantity and quality, it is to be regretted that the outlook as regards . prices is not more encouraging. Judging by the business .transacted in Sydney yesterday and to-day,, when six fairly large and representative catalogues were .submittetHo the trade, growers will have to make up their minds to accept prices considerably below those current a year ago, especially for inferior, burry, seedy, and otherwise faulty descriptions of the itaple. , No very superior classes of wool have as yet been offered, and it is therefore difficult to say to what extent the tost qualities will be affected by the fall in prices since last season. Buoyancy and cheerfulness have for so long a time been the chief characteristics of our .market that it is with much' regret that •we have to record the unpleasant fact that, although buyers have this year again assembled in our saleroom in large numbers, and are as a body found to be fully representative of all sections of the English, Continental, and American trade, thereis at present a marked absence of that briskness in the demand which throughout the three or lour preceding seasons so gladdened the •(hearts of producers, even in the face of i'low prices. The discouraging results which attended the offering of several early-shorn .clips at the last of the fortnightly auctions, here,; and the course of prices current in the Adelaide market, when 12,000 bales were catalogued for eale in that centre on 26th fast, certainly foreshadowed a difficult time for settlers at the opening sales of the season, but it had scarcely been anticipated that this, the greatest event of the year in the wool fcade, would have been productive of 80 much chagrin and disappointment ! to growers and those to whom the interests of growers ate entrusted, as has actually been the case, or.jthat the depression which still prevails in. all the great industrial centres of Europe and America would; have been i reflected with such terrible force in our markets, as it is shown to be by the offers now being re* ceived for the first instalments of the new clip. Possibly, when buyers settle down to their work and .the sales get into full awing, the,area,of competition may become wider and prices may become less irregular; bui at present the bidding is chiefly confined to the French section of

the trade, and bat little support has been , accorded to : the market by any other buyers, Compared with the rates ruling At the commencement of last season, prices for medium greasy merino ; and erossbred wools are per lb cheaper, while inferior .qualities, and scoured wools are from \i to Id per lb lower, As was the case last year, the demand appears to largely favor jcoKse wools, and, strong-haired, robust merino sorts, ; and the' highest prices realised so far have been for crossbreds. Prices current, may ,be quoted as follows: . , , ■,

U, fleece, superior, 7fd; 'good, 6|d to medium, s£dto 6|d; inferior, 4Jd to 5Jd. : G. lambs, superior, 6|d; good, s|d to 6d; midium,%l to s|d; inferior, 3|d to 4d. G. pieces, superior, 6Jd; good, sid to 6d; medium, 4|d to sd; inf« rior, 3sd to 4d, G. bellies, superior, 4fd : ; good, 4d to 4£d; medium, 3|d to 3fd.;"inferior, 2sd to 3d. G. crossbred, superior, ft, ■to 6|d; inferior, 5Jd to 6d. VV. fleece, medium; 8d to 9d; inferior, 7d to 7fd, ; S. fleece, + superior, 13d to 15d j.'gbod, llfil to 12fd; medium, ty& to U|d; inferior,'9d. to IOJd. S. pieces, superior, lOfdfco 12^(1; good; »|d to 1QJ1; medium, B|d to 9|d; inferior, 7jd to Bd. S. bdlies, superior,'lo|d'to lid; good, ,B£d to lOd; medium, 7id to BJd;;inft)rior,s£d to 7d. ! Si locksi superior, 7fd to B|d; good; to 7^d; medmmi s|d to.6,|d j; inferior, 4|d to s^d.