AUCKLAND WOOL SALE,

Waikato Times, Volume 112, Issue 18808, 2 December 1932, Page 6

AUCKLAND WOOL SALE,

FIRST OF THE SEASON. DEMAND FOR FINE QUALITY. GERMANY OPERATES FREELY. AUCKLAND, Friday. At the opening of the New Zealand wool sales last evening, there was an appreciable firming in the price of fine wools. The improvement, estimated to be l id a pound better than the prices x realised at the closing Auckland sale last season, was, however, confined to halfbred wool, eroshred realising rates which were approximately on a par with those obtained last March, when prices fell to I heir lowest level. Compared with the opening sale of last season, halfbred wool was about Id better in price, but crossbred was from id to Jd down, while bellies, pieces and locks were about firm on 1931 values.

The average price was a fraction under 5d a pound, or approximately £ i a bale, which was nearly equivalent to the price received at the opening sale last season and was better by |d a pound and £1 6s a bale than the average price received at the last Auckland sale.

Top price of lid a pound was secured for nine bales of extra super Corriedale, marked Freshwater, sold on behalf of Captain G. HumphreysDavies, of Clevcdon. This was Jd less than the top price received during the last two seasons. Germany bought the greater proportion of the inferior wools. The explanation of Germany’s extensive operations is to he found in 'the deprecia-, tion of sterling, which offers a verjj ■substantial premium to Continental j buying. Bradford did not show any buoyancy in her purchases. There, was some demand from Japan. Below Cost of Production. The failure of crossbred wool to show any marked Improvement in price was viewed with considerable j disappointment by the crowded gal-j lery of farmers. The fact that last evening’s prices for this class of wool still remain at a level which is below cost of production was the subject of much bitter comment, and several growers stated that they could not see how they could possibly carry on. A REGRETTABLE FEATURE. UNSKIRTED WOOL BALED.

AUCKLAND, Friday. “A regrettable feature of this offering,” said one buyer, is the amount of wool that has been baled without being skirted. Skirted wool has a chance, unskirted has none. Yet there are lots of the ’everything in’ order. The owners evidently thought that at present prices it was not worth the trouble to pack their wool properly. But never did they so need every fraction that can be got.” BETTER THAN ANTICIPATED. DOWNWARD TREND CEASED. CLIP OF GOOD QUALITY. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Friday. The first wool .sale of the season concluded this morning. Good wools sold better than was anticipated, and inferior sorts worse. There appears to be some ground for believing that at last the downward trend of prloes has ceased.

A favourable factor at this sale was that the clip was the best quality sold here for many years. This improvement In quality places a much larger proportion of the offerings in the fifties class than is usual, and the average growers’ results should benefit accordingly. Old wools, if discoloured, realised lower prices, but the clearance was excellent. It is estimated that the returns from this sale, when available, will show an average per bale of £6 10?. with 4*d as the approximate price per lb.

It Is pointed out that without allowing for interest on land or stock production costs are between 4Jd and Gd per lb.