EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



377 



Table No. XIV 



COST TO THE CONSUMER TO HAVE ALL HIS MILK HANDLED WHOLESALE 

 THROUGH STORES AND MILK STATIONS. 



For storekeepers to handle milk is more or less of an accommodation. 

 Their commission as allowed by milk distributors who compete in the retail 

 business is too small compared with other goods to actually pay. With 

 stores and shops handling all the milk a 30 per cent commission charge 

 could be expected from the stores. Even with the present two cent com- 

 mission to the stores, which was the general charge at the time this study 

 was made, we find from Table No. XIV that Flint stores handling all of the 

 milk would receive enough commission to support 89 retail wagons. These 

 wagons, with the number already in use distributing the milk wholesale, 

 would make 133 in all, which is 46 more than would be the minimum re- 

 quirement to distribute all of the milk retail. For these 133 wagons to dis- 

 tribute all of Flint's milk would require an average load of 222 quart units 

 which according to Table No. XV is 30.5 quart units less than the average 

 retail load now delivered. A greater difference than 30.5 quart units will 

 be observed, if the amount of wholesale milk usually carried on retail wagons 

 to make up a load, is added. 



Figuring the same way for Lansing, we find that 61 wagons retail could be 

 employed for the same price. These are 23 wagons more than was the min- 

 imum requirement to distribute all of Lansing's milk retail. For 61 wagons 

 to distribute the milk would require an average load of 209 quart units which 

 are 40 quart units less than the average retail load now delivered. Besides 

 this most of Lansing's retail wagons carry wholesale milk to account for a 

 load. 



For Kalamazoo, 59 wagons could be employed for the same price as would 

 be charged the consumer for wholesale delivery, which are 21 wagons more 

 than the minimum requirement necessary to distribute all of Kalamazoo's 

 milk retail. Fifty-nine wagons would average 228.5 quart units per load 

 to distribute all of Kalamazoo's milk retail. These are 58.5 quart units 

 less than the average retail load now delivered. Kalamazoo, like Lansing 

 and Flint, carries wholesale milk on retail wagons. 



Considering the amount of wholesale milk carried on retail wagons for 

 all three cities, it appears that a system of exclusively wholesale delivery 

 of all the cities' milk would cost the consumer as much as a liberal retail 

 distributing system, while a half wholesale and half retail system, such as 

 is now employed, results in an even greater service and saving to the con- 

 sumer. 



