130 THE MARKETING OF WHOLE MILK 



than they were. The leading dealers in many of our cities 

 have made every possible attempt to conduct the business 

 more economically, since it was only by so doing that 

 they could meet the competition of the small, independent 

 dealers and the producer-distributors and still be enabled 

 to make a profit. As a result of the efforts of the more 

 progressive dealers and producer-distributors, as well as 

 of our health authorities, we are undoubtedly getting a 

 better quality of milk than formerly in spite of the 

 fact that it comes from more widely scattered sec- 

 tions. 



Reference has already been made to the fact that there 

 has been a notable tendency towards centralization, which 

 in various instances has brought about considerable sav- 

 ings. As a result of numerous studies of milk distribution 

 the feeling has come to be quite prevalent that the present 

 wasteful competitive system of milk distribution should 

 be superseded entirely by a centralized distributive system. 

 The most elaborate study along this line is that made in 

 1919 by Dr. Charles E. North in Rochester, New York, 

 for the Committee on Public Safety of the Rochester 

 Common Council. The work of a large number of assist- 

 ants, milk inspectors, public accountants, and others, 

 after several months' effort, resulted in the collection of 

 a mass of data dealing with the milk problem in Rochester 

 and in several other cities. Many of the data have been 

 published in an attempt to show the possible savings that 

 would result were Rochester's milk business efficiently 

 operated as a single system instead of under the present 

 competitive plan. This phase of the study is summarized 

 in Table XXX. 



