SECONDARY MILK MARKETS, 1930-1932 17 



The cost of labor was of slight consideration as long as the time spent in distribu- 

 t ion did not offer any alternative employment. Another important factor inducing 

 producers to distribute their milk was the widening margin between the price 

 paid to producers for their milk and that prevailing in retail distribution. 



Distance from the Market and Miles Traveled 



Mo»t of the producers found in the distributing field were located In close 

 proximity to the market. As will be seen from Table 13, of the 57 producer- 

 distributors whose costs of distribution were covered by this study, almost two- 

 thirds were located within four miles of the center of the market in which their 

 milk was sold. Only a little over one-fourth of the producer-distributors lived 

 more than six miles from the market. 



Table 13. Distance from Market of 57 Producer-Distributors in 

 Attleboro, Gardner, and Newburyport 



Per Cent 



of 

 Total 



24.6 

 38.6 

 10.5 

 26.3 

 100.0 



With the exception of a few distributors who sold their milk in more or less 

 compact districts, there was present in these markets the familiar duplication 

 of routes, and travel over considerable distances to supply a few customers. 

 Only a little over one-third of the distributors covered a total distance of less than 

 10 miles in the distribution of milk over one route. (Table 14.) The majority of 

 distributors used small trucks; automobiles were used by a few small retailers; 

 and there were several horse-drawn vehicles. 



Table 14. Miles Traveled Daily on Milk Routes by 57 Producer- 

 Distributors IN Attleboro, Gardner, andjNevvburyport in 1932 



Per Cent 



of 



Total 



35.1 

 31.6 

 22.8 

 10.5 

 100.0 



