COMMERCIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2499, 12 May 1909, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

LONDON WOOL SALES. United Press Association —Copyright LONDON, May 10. The wool sales are brisk. Sales have a hardening tendency. .Americans are operating very largely. 1 THE WHEAT MARKET. Tlie quantity of wheat and flour afloat is 3,055,000 quarters, of which tlie Continent contributes 1,930,000 quarters, and Atlantic shipments 74,000 quarters.- s The total shipments to Europe last week amounted to 925,000 quarters,- including 290,000 quarters from Argentina and Uruguay. WOOL REPORT. Messrs. Williams and Kettle Ltd., have received the following; wool reSort from their London agents under ate March 26tli, 1909: —The second series of colonial wool sales for the current year, which commenced on the 9th inst., will terminate to-day. Throughout the attendance of buyer's has been remarkably good, whilst competition baa been ~ particularly animated, all sections of the trade exhibiting great keenness. Merinos, which at the outset showed an average advance of about 5 per cent., have met with good demand. and whilst the best greasies have not appreciably improved on opening rates, average te good wools, both scoured and' greasy, further advanced as the sales progressed, and closed about 10 per cent over last sale currencies; and tlie rise on the inferior grades is- about 73 per cent. Crossbreds, especially the finest descriptions in tlio grease, have met with vew active competition, and a further advance of 5 per cent to 73 per cent has been recorded upon the initial improvement of 73 per cent. ; in tlie ctse of medium and coarse kinds the rise is about 5 per cent. The latter, however, have shown a hardening tendency during the closing days of the series. Scoureds and slipes have been in somewhat small supply and generally mark an advance_ ol 5 ‘per cent to 10 per cent, the fullest appreciation being upon the finest descriptions. As compared with the closing rates of January auctions we quote the following changes: —Scoured merinos, superior or fine. Id higher; medium, 13d to 2d higher; inferior or coarse 3d higher. Greasy merinos, superior or fine, 3<l higher; medium Id higher; inferior or coarse 3d higher. Scoured crossbreds, superior or fine, 13d te 2d higher; medium Id to ite higher; inferior and coarse Id higher. Greasy crossbreds, superior or fine, higher; medium par to 3d higher; inferior or coarse 3d higher. Slipes, supferior or fine Id to* lid liighor smedium Id higher; inferior or coarse 3d higher. The total quantity taken for export is about 87,000 bales, including 18.000 bales for America, whilst only some 13,000 bales are held over for future realisation. The result of the series is decidedly satisfactory; especially when it is borne in mind the large quantities of direct importation which arc how arriving and have still to come to hand. ,