DUNEDIN WOOL SALES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 6, 5 February 1903, Page 13

DUNEDIN WOOL SALES.

Messrs. Donald Reid and Co. report :—: — Although Thursday's sale was the third of the advertised series, owing to the backward and wet season hindering shearing, a nd other causes, it was the first at which wool was submitted for sale, and consequently the catalogues submitted were heavy, the total number of bales entered by the various selling brokers being 19 221 bales. We had the usual large attendance of wool producers and others interested in the business, and a full and representative attendance of buyers, all our colonial woollen mills as well as local and foieign fiims being fully represented. Our catalogue, which was largely composed of farmers' and small graziers' lots, comprised 2684 bales of all sorts The wools generally opened out bright in color, were fairly well grown, and owing to the dripping season were very light in grease. There was fair competition throughout the sale. Fine halfbred and merino wools, suitable for our local woollen mills, were in specially strong demand, the local mills being active competitors for all of this class. Strong lustrous Lincoln and Leicester wools were also in improved demand, and all these sorts made a good improvement on last gear's prices. Coarse, low-grade half-bred wools showed to the worst advantage, und were ill to quit at comparatively low values. Our range of prices was —Greasy merino, 6fd to lojd . halfbred fleece, sid to 9|d : crossbred, 4Jd to 7fd. We consider that, as compared with hist season's prices, all sorts, low halfbred wools excepted, have established an advance of Id to ljd per lb Of the 2684 bales catalogued by us, 2346 bales were sold at auction, and 338 bales were passed in owing to bidding not reaching valuation or owners' reserves.