H.—3B

4

It will be noted that where the finer qualities of wool are offered at. certain points in the South Island higher average values are recorded, and the, converse applies to certain points in the North Island where coarser types of wool predominate. The sales of New Zealand free wools from the Ist July, 1921. to the 30th June, 1922, have been as follows : Sold by auction in—London, 253,135 bales; New Zealand, 457,553 bales : total, 710,688 bales. Although a great part of this wool has been sold at. prices unrcmunerative to growers, there has been very little speculative purchasing, and the great bulk has been sold for direct consumption in the mills of the United Kingdom and the Continent. On the whole the purchases for shipment to the United States of America have been small. Imperial Stocks. Liquidation of the Imperial carry-over stocks has proceeded steadily during the year, the position at the 30th June, 1922, being as follows : — Australian. New Zealand. Total. Bales. Bales. Bales. Stocks, Ist July, 1921 .. .. .. .. .. 1.554,844 739,753 2,294,597 Sales by auction, United Kingdom and Continent, Ist July. 1921, to 30th June, 1922 .. .. .. .. 701,844 309,753 1,011,597 Stocks, 30th June, 1922 (approximate) .. .. .. 853,000 430,000 1,283,000 These stocks are approximately made up as follows ; — Australian. New Zealand. Bales. Bales. Merino .. .. .. .. .. 203,000 3,000 Fine crossbred .. .. .. .. .. 383,000 14,000 Medium crossbred .. .. .. .. ..185,000 108,000 Low crossbred .. .. .. .. .. 82,000 135,000 Slipe .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 87,000 Scoured .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 83,000 853,000 430,000 The stocks of Imperial wool in New Zealand included in the above, which amounted to 314,903 bales at the Ist July, 1921, had been reduced to 54,895 bales at the 30th June, 1922, and under the present shipping programme will all be cleared from New Zealand by the end of August, 1922.

Date of Sale. Centre. Offered. Sold. Average Price Average Price per Bale. per Pound. 1922. January 3 6 „ II 16 „ 20 „ 25 30 Februarv 3 8 13 17 23 28 March 3 . . 10 . . „ 14 .. „ 17 .. ' ,. 21 .. „ 27 ... „ 31 .. April 5 May 3 „ 5 „ 11 „ 16 „ 18 „ 22 „ 25 Various dates Timaru .. Wanganui Napier Wellington Christchurch Invercargill Dunedin .. Timaru .. Auckland Napier Wellington Christchurch Dunedin .. Invercargill Wellington Napier Wanganui Auckland Christchurch Dunedin .. Wellington Timaru .. Dunedin .. Christchurch Auckland Wanganui Napier Wellington Gisborne .. Bales. 9,903 13,347 19,992 19,986 20,465 14,108 18,426 12,000 10,052 16,095 24.828 18,012 20.108 9,865 18,837 11,704 19,245 12,223 9.934 11.290 14.403 5,007 1,424 2,487 2,993 7,427 4.732 5,260 4,115 Bales. 9.569 11,991 18,007 18,168 19,796 12.499 17.648 11,216 9,623 15,186 21,505 15.422 17,463 8,864 16,714 10,418 17,037 9,690 9,099 10.878 13,901 4,778 1,409 2,266 2,934 7.183 4,608 5,158 4,115 £ s. d. 9 13 4 7 15 11 8 2 3 9 3 5 12 4 7 8 9 6 12 13 8 11 7 8 8 6 5 8 3 8 8 14 11 11 13 10 11 2 7 8 2 3 8 0 0 7 11 8 8 2 11 7 10 3 10 8 4 11 1 9 8 14: 4 12 1 0 10 6 4 10 11 5 8 18 6 9 4 3 8 5 0 10 0 0 d. 6-85 4-85 5-16 5-65 9-01 6-13 8-90 8-02 5-60 5-20 5-30 8-05 7-77 6-04 5-40 4-70 5-02 5-10 7-60 7-70 5-37 8-10 7-18 7-48 6-00 5-72 5-23 6-28 Total 405,125