

MILK SURVEY OF THE CITY OF ROCHESTER 127 



The number of vehicles used in milk delivery for both wholesale and 

 retail trade in the City of Rochester is 207 wagons and 71 automobiles, 

 or a total of 278. The reports indicate that 304 men are employed in the 

 retail delivery and 179 in the wholesale delivery. The figure 179, how- 

 ever, includes a number of the men who are also working on the retail 

 delivery. The total number of man hours consumed for Rochester is 

 1,769, and the rate of delivery both wholesale and retail is 43.8 quarts per 

 man hour, and 279 quarts per wagon for all classes of trade. 



It will be noted that company No. 8 in the list delivers milk at the 

 rate of 594.6 quarts per wagon; company No. 5 at the rate of 439.8; com- 

 pany No. 4 at the rate of 432 ; and company No. 1 at the rate of 392.6. 



A review of the volume of milk carried on the wagons of the com- x 

 panics in the list, and of the opportunities for efficiency under a cen- 

 tralized system justifies the belief that the number of quarts per wagon 

 delivered by the company showing the highest degree of efficiency, which 

 is 594.6 quarts, could be approached under a centralized delivery system. 

 The more correct method of measurement, however, is the number of 

 quarts delivered per man hour. It will be noted that company No. 8 

 delivers 74.3 quarts per man hour, while company No. 5 delivers 68.8 

 quarts per man hour. We will therefore assume that under a centralized 

 system as much as 70 quarts per man hour could be delivered. Using the 

 average wage scale for the City of Rochester for milk delivery of .46 per 

 man hour gives a cost per quart of .006571, and an annual cost under a 

 centralized system for the labor of milk delivery of $186,078.53. These 

 figures show a total saving under a centralized system for each quart of 

 milk of .003922, and a total annual saving on the entire supply of the 

 city of $111,038.77. 



It must be remembered that these figures do not include the entire 

 cost of milk delivery or the entire savings that can be effected on milk 

 delivery under a centralized system. The figures here presented refer 

 only to the pay roll or salaries of the milk drivers, and not to any other 

 item of expense connected with the cost of distribution. Other such 

 items, for example, as the cost of feeding horses, stable charges, the cost 

 of wagons, depreciation, the cost of harness and other stable and wagon 

 supplies, the cost of ice, etc., are all expenses belonging to the cost of 

 milk delivery. These items will be discussed later on. The saving of 

 $111,038.77 is a saving strictly limited to the pay roll, or salaries of milk 

 drivers. 



If 70 quarts per man hour is a fair estimate of the number of quarts 

 delivered, and each driver is employed for an 8-hour day, this would 

 mean a total delivery for each man of 560 quarts daily. For the entire 

 amount of milk sold in the City of Rochester at the time these figures 



