LONDON WOOL SALES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2451, 16 March 1909, Page 2

LONDON WOOL SALES.

PRICES STEADY AND FIIOI, (From Oar Special Correspondent.) LONDON. Feb. 5. ' Another good "week has to be chronicled in Coleman Street "Wool Exchange, the sales having backed up somewhat since I last wrote. Last Monday more buyers came on to the scene, some having stopped away tliin'king that they would get cheaper wool the last week. It is really surprising ai'tc-r three weeks of hard, continuous toil with large' offerings' that wool should be snapped up as it is, but it .just shows that notwithstanding very heavy direct arrivals, prices remain steady and firm. Evidently the trade has confidenc e in to-day's rates, for all sections are buying most liberally, and particularly the Home and Continental. America is evidently disposed to mainlain its reserve in regard to merinos right to the finish, its principal operations centreing around medium and coarse crossbreds; some good quantities being taken. New Zealand clips will considerably benefit where the wools have been light- enough for that market, and the home trade lias given splendid support to all classes of crossbreds. Looking''at Merinos, Yorkshire buyers this last few days have operated very extensively in fine wools, and have paid some really good prices. Fine super greasy lambs have sold up to Is Hid, several lots making from Is 6d to Is lid. There has been a splendid display every day of medium to good combing wools, and this has found the Continent also very active. The clips from New South Wales and Victoria have been very good, while the bulk of the Qucenslands have boon in the scoured state, though two or three good clips from the Darling Downs and Mitchell districts have cut a leading figure. West Australian wools have bulked very largely, Bradford topnvakers being keen .upon them, and practically taking the entire market. Capes have sold just ■about on a level with last week, the longest grease combing selling readily, while the short, wasty six months’ par--eels have very frequently to be withdrawn. Taking the sales as a whole a .good tone still prevails, competition is extremely keen and animated, and prices generally have got back to the opening week for the best classes, faulty shabby wools both in grease and scoured still being down par to 5 per cent. SOUTH AFRICAN WOOLS. This series there has been catalogued ■ some of the best clips that are grown in South Africa, only one lot making Hd for grease combing ,and perhaps half a dozen more lOd and lOfd. Such figures look rather small- compared to ifd to 13d which is. a very ordinary price for Australian wool, but even lOd for Capes is not to be despised. Evidently the Western Province and haffraria produce the best clips, and luivcrs have noticed with pleasure that a better attempt has been made on some of the clips grown in the Adelaide district to send the wool to market skirted and classed in Australian, fashion. Look where we will, there is undoubtedly proceeding throughout the whole of the Cape, as well as in the Orange River Colony, the Transvaal, and Natal, a more progressive policy, the large imports during the past two years of some of Australia’s, best stud stock being a move in the right direction. Nobody, grumbles to-day about the quality of South African merinos, but there* is room for improvement both in length, density, and shaftinoss of 'the wools. They are already heavy enough in grease, most of the wools being somewhat excessively fatty or yolky. We hardly know how it is going to be done, but a lighter condition in ninety per cent of the clips would be a vastimprovement , besides causing as ranch money to flow into the pockets of the growers. Then shearing twice a year is a curse and not a blessing, for while this series wools of nice length have sold readily, short, mushy, ( wasting Capes have been a drug. So long as there is an ample supply..of even twelve months’ grown wools from Australia of oven second rate character, they are bound to adversely influence the sale of short, six months’ Capes. The agricultural officials in each of the respective Governments are no doubt doing their best to eradicate scab, and this would undoubtedly be “a boon and blessing” to the entire trade. . Wherever this insidious disease , exists the wools of that country always suffer, and it is to be hoped that the clay is not far distant when scab throughout South Africa will be a thing of the past. Clie writer has maintained for years that if the Cape wool trade, is ever to rise to the position it ought, it will ha ve to be done by the individual woolgrowers of the whole Colony, and when the raev material is allowed to grow twelve months, and then .prepared for market in Australian fashion, it will be the beginning of better days for the whole of South Africa’s pastoral industry. Sold by Messrs Thomas and Cook, February 1: Ruru: Grsy. 36 A ersbd lOd; 15 dd, do lOd; 29 B do H 9id; 21 do, do 9sd; 7 do 8d; 10 C do H 8d; 9 do, do 73d; 7 Ist do pcs Ojd; 7 £nd do, do oi d ; 9 do cratclrngs, -5Jd ; 10 do bellies, 5%d ; 3do lock's 3R.1. Rangitata: Grsy. 15 sup -J-bcl. 9RI ; 18 do, do 9-)d ; 3 do 71 d ; 4 Ist do lOd ; 2 2nd do 8d ; 12 -ij-bcl IT 9d; 2 ersbd 7-Rl; 2 sup £-b(l neck pcs 3.0(1; 3 Ist do, do Bd. Sold by Messrs Buxton, Ronald and Co., February 2: Kawa: Grsy. 2 A ersbd 10'd; 32 do do lid; 7 do, do 9d; 11 C do lOd; 6 Ist do pcs 6d; -5 B do, do ojd; 2 2nd do-, do 51 d; 2 do locks 4d.