New Trends in Milk Marketing 



(Continued from page 20) 



sufficiently, also change the consumer 

 price. In other words, as properly ap- 

 plied the plan means a flexible pro- 

 ducer milk price and a flexible con- 

 sumer milk price. This plan has been 

 discussed at St. Louis and the Quad- 

 Cities by the respective producer co- 

 ojjeratives and their dealer buyers. The 

 plan undoubtedly will be more general- 

 ly used in the future. 



The quart milk bottle for many years 

 has been the standard sized milk pack- 

 age. While there have been pint, half- 

 Eint and third-quart bottles, the quart 

 ottle until recent years has been the 

 largest container in general usage. 

 Upon an increasing number of markets 

 of late, half gallon and gallon bottles 

 have come into use. These larger 

 bottles have been used as a means of 

 reducing the milk price to larger users. 

 While not always agreed to by milk 

 dealers the larger containers are sup- 

 posed to cut the per unit cost of filling, 

 cleaning and delivery compared with 



3uart bottles. Also the cost for route 

 elivery or for store handling of these 

 packages is supposed to be about the 

 same as for a quart bottle. For these 

 reasons the price per quart of milk in 

 the larger containers is generally low- 

 er than in quart bottles. In suburban 

 Chicago, for example, large distributors 

 have recently started offering consum- 

 ers milk in half-gallon bottles at re- 

 duced prices. 



Milk Sales Increase 



In St. Louis the introduction and 

 sale of the gallon and half-gallon con- 

 tainers through stores and upon milk 

 routes is credited as one substantial 

 factor in their increased bottled milk 

 sales. In that market fluid milk con- 

 sumption increased during September 

 1939. 10% over September 1938 and 

 during the first nine months of 1939 in- 

 creased 11% over the same period in 

 1938. The half-gallon container in 

 the St. Louis area is reported to be 

 more popular with housewives than the 

 gallon container because of conveni- 

 ence in handling and storage in the 

 home refrigerator. 



Paper milk containers are being used 

 of late in some Illinois cities principally 

 in Chicago suburban areas. Paper 

 milk containers, however, have been in 

 use for the past nine years in New 

 York City and for six years in Phila- 

 delphia, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles 

 ancl for shorter periods upon other 

 major milk markets. While this con- 

 tainer doubtless is, as sanitary as glass, 

 less weighty and ^more convenient to 

 the housewife, the expense of the 

 paper bottle as compared with glass 



will confine its use largely to store 

 sales for the present. The use of paper 

 containers for milk sold wholesale has 

 made remarkable gains. New York 

 City's two largest milk distributors are 

 offering housewives milk in half gal- 

 lon paf>er containers. This innovation 

 may accelerate the further development 

 and use of paper milk containers. 



I have mentioned the present trend 

 toward uniformity of quality require- 

 ments for milk in Illinois markets. The 

 trend is toward the adoption by city 

 governments of the Standard U. S. 

 Public Health Service model milk or- 

 dinance. Chicago and eleven suburban 

 cities in Illinois have adopted this or- 

 dinance, also St. Louis, Missouri and 

 seven Illinois cities in the St. Louis 

 area, Decatur, Champaign, Peoria, Ke- 

 wanee, Freeport and Alton. At the 

 last sesion of the Illinois Legislature a 

 bill was enacted which requires that 

 only milk produced under the standards 

 of U. S. Public Health Service milk 

 ordinance can be offered for sale in 

 this state labelled by a milk dealer as 

 Grade "A" raw or pasteurized milk. 

 Uniform Regulations 



At a recent meeting held by the 

 council of state governments in Chi- 

 cago, the lack of uniformity of milk 

 quality requirements was pointed out 

 and plans were discussed to achieve in 

 the future more uniformity among 

 state milk quality regulations. Abso- 

 lute uniformity of city milk ordinance 

 or state milk laws will not be achieved 

 because of the varying temperature, 

 climatic and farming conditions. How- 

 ever, there is little doubt that the fu- 

 ture will see a definite trend toward 

 greater uniformity with allowances 

 for the factors indicated. 



The U. S. standard milk ordinance 

 places upon the producer requirements 

 for the production of milk which ma- 

 terially increases his investment and 

 exjjense. There are many differences 

 of opinion among producers and even 

 health officials regarding the particular 

 merit of this ordinance in providing 

 better milk than other types of milk 

 ordinances. Certainly, however, every- 

 one in the milk industry including pro- 

 ducers believe that the public is entitled 

 to a clean, safe, wholesome and ade- 

 quate supply of milk. Inasmuch as the 

 adoption and application of this ordi- 

 nance by the consumers in any area in- 

 creases the cost of milk production, city 

 consumers and governing officials 

 should recognize that producers are en- 

 titled to added compensation for the 

 production of milk under this ordi- 

 nance. 



Three of the largest areas of popu- 

 lation in Illinois are in interstate milk 

 markets that are under Federal AAA 



milk marketing orders and supervision. 

 These markets are Chicago, St. Louis 

 and the Quad Cities of Moline, Rock 

 Island, Davenport, and East Moline. 

 Upon two of these markets, namely, 

 St. Louis and Quad-Cities, the AAA 

 milk market orders have been in suc- 

 cessful operation since 1933 and 1934 

 respectively. The Chicago market has 

 been under such an order since Septem- 

 ber 1 of this year. It is apparent that 

 the milk producers upon these markets, 

 which are eligible for Federal super- 

 vision, have found this arrangement to 

 be beneficial or they would not have 

 requested it or would have discon- 

 tinued the arrangement. 



Intra-state markets in Illinois while 

 not eligible for AAA milk market su- 

 pervision nevertheless have indicated 

 their desire for the same aid provided 

 by the Federal agreements. Efforts to 

 enact into law an Illinois State Milk 

 Control Bill failed at the last session 

 of the legislature. Approximately one- 

 half of the states have enacted such 

 laws. The milk industry seems to have 

 reached the place where an umpire 

 and a set of reasonable rules for all to 

 follow is necessary for an orderly mar- 

 ket. In my opinion the trend today is 

 toward more governmental regulatory 

 milk marketing activities. 



Change Must Come 

 Some of us as individuals or as 

 groups may favor certain changes and 

 disapprove of others. Changes in the 

 milk industry should come if it is to 

 retain its important position in the 

 changing economic panorama. My be- 

 lief is that the milk industry has been 

 too resistant and slow to make changes 

 in the past for its own best interests. 

 With those of us engaged in producing 

 and marketing nature's unequalled food 

 — milk — our primary concern should 

 be that changes be brought about that 

 will result in maximum consumption of 

 milk with a fair distribution of the con- 

 sumer's milk dollar among those having 

 a part in the industry. . , 



Headline — HUNTERS SPEND $44 

 ON DEER WORTH $15 APIECE 



Hunting dears is costly, too. 



Never question your wife's judgment. 

 Look who she married. 



'That ain't the way I heer'dir 



A hot temper has often landed its 

 owner in the cooler. 



How did you hear it? This "heer" 

 column takes contributions, in fact, it 

 grabs 'em. So let's have 'em. . ,. 



, L A. A. RECORD 



