Remedial theories and experiments 181 



of danger open. True, other means might be taken 

 to regulate these and so secure proper conditions. 

 But once that is admitted, it seems to me, from a 

 hygienic standpoint, there is no reason why similar 

 methods of control, without ownership,, should not 

 be applied to the whole industry. This is, of course, 

 the theory of our present system of milk inspection, 

 which has so signally failed to accomplish the desired 

 result. 



So much for the production of milk. When we 

 come to examine its distribution, we find that there is 

 a certain measure of organization and concentration. 

 Except in very small centres of population, few 

 dairymen retail the milk produced upon their farms. 

 For the most part milk is sold to dealers who, in turn, 

 supply the retail trade. Then there are great dis- 

 tributing companies, so-called "milk trusts," some 

 of them operating upon a national scale, which are 

 often oppressive to producer and consumer alike. 

 Many of these concerns have so organized the dis- 

 tribution that they are receivers, wholesalers, and 

 retailers. It has been estimated that from 80 to 

 90 per cent of the milk sold in New York City is 

 handled by 125 dealers, and the tendency is un- 

 deniably toward further concentration.'' The busi- 

 ness of milk distribution is much more nearly ripe 

 for collectivism than is that of milk production, but 

 there would, obviously, be very little advantage, 



