HOW SOLVE THE PROBLEM? 171 



3. Cooperative pasteurization plants, under private 

 or public control. 



4. Central city delivery, under private or public 

 control (see pp. 139-40). 



5. Complete municipalization, i. e., handling under 

 the control of the municipality from the farm to the 

 consumer. This plan has recently been proposed for 

 all municipalities in the State of Rhode Island by a 

 legislative commission of inquiry (Appendix E). 



Concentration is clearly a great factor in efficiency, 

 as is shown by the large milk companies of the cities. 

 Individual retailers, as well as the farmers, have been 

 slow to see the great advantage of concentration; hence 

 they labor under difficulties. Farmers' cooperative 

 milk depots in country districts have been advocated 

 as practical (see pp. 142-44) . Cooperative pasteuriza- 

 tion and central distribution to obviate the wasteful 

 overlapping of delivery routes have been tried hi 

 one instance known to the writer, with apparent 

 success (see p. 250). Certain practical difficulties are to 

 be met hi connection with these last ideas, difficul- 

 ties which could be obviated only by amalgamation 

 or assumption of the interests of the dealers involved 

 (see p. 140). The association of individual dealers to 

 form businesses of efficient size would eliminate the 

 disadvantages and wastes existing when bottling, 

 pasteurization and distribution are so dispersed that 

 overlapping of function and high operating expenses 

 are inevitable. There is more hope in, the general 

 recognition of this economic fact by dealers and hi 

 their voluntary or economically forced amalgamation 

 of interests than in cooperative plans which have to 



