CHAPTER XV 

 WOOL-SELLING 



Wool-selling charges Date of sales in Australia Conditions of sale. 



THE bulk of the Australian wool clip, is now sold in Australia, 

 the sales attracting buyers from almost every country in the 

 world, the competition being if anything keener than that in 

 London, as speculating shippers sometimes find out to their 

 cost. 



The wool is offered in large well-lighted stores, and is on view 

 from six o'clock in the morning, at which hour buyers can be 

 seen making a start, the light being quite good. 



Two brokers' catalogues are offered daily, with a few excep- 

 tions, the combined offerings being limited to 12,000 bales per 

 day. Buyers therefore need to start early if they wish to view 

 all the wool offered, as the sale starts punctually at three o'clock 

 in the afternoon of the same day the wool is shown. 



Luncheon is provided for the buyers by the wool-selling 

 brokers at the stores, which saves buyers going out and there- 

 fore losing valuable time. 



The auctioneer at a wool sale very seldom has to ask for a 

 bid. Usually as soon as he mentions the catalogue number of 

 the lot being offered, the buyers fairly shriek and yell at him 

 the price they are willing to pay, every one in the not unmusical 

 choir trying to yell his bid louder than the other. 



The lots are knocked down and sold quicker than the average 

 person can write down the price bid. The sale being over, the 

 wool-brokers have the invoices for ; 100,000 to , 120,000 worth 



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