26 BULLETIN 1095, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
portance of personal cleanliness are qualifications that should be- 
required. With such qualifications and a good physique as a foun- 
dation the possibility of future development into a successful sales- 
man is mainly a problem of organization of the delivery system. A 
company that does not have a well-formulated standard of service or 
that neglects to train its route men is more than likely to have just 
as many different standards of service as it has route men. 
The pay of a route salesman must be commensurate with the 
amount and kind of work required of him. As a general rule the 
salary of a salesman should compare favorably with the pay of a 
skilled workman or mechanic. A route salesman who sells 400 
quarts daily and makes an effort to build up his route is rendering a 
service of a higher order than a driver or teamster, and unless he 
is adequately paid he will eventually seek other employment. The 
salaries of efficient milk salesmen vary from $25 to $50 per week. 
A constantly changing personnel of dissatisfied route salesmen pre- 
cludes efficiency in satisfactory delivery service. The premium or 
commission system of payment, in which a bonus is offered to sales- 
men for new customers obtained and for promptness in the collection 
and return of bottles in addition to basic salary, is the usual method 
of paying salesmen for efficient service and encouraging them to put 
forth their best efforts. 
Because of the many disagreeable features of route-delivery work 
there is a tendency among route men to look upon the work as a tem- 
porary job until more agreeable employment is obtained. This tend- 
ency is often further encouraged by the indifferent attitude of the 
company toward the route men. Even companies which maintain a 
most liberal policy toward their salesmen and pay adequate salaries 
report that only about 50 per cent of their route force can be consid- 
ered permanent. 
Adequate salaries, liberal commissions, and a bonus system of pay- 
ment, convenient working equipment, and a reasonable amount of 
time off each month are strong inducements to route salesmen to put 
forth their best efforts and to continue permanently 1 in delivery work. 
Because the net profit on a bottle of milk is usually a small frac- 
tion of its selling price, the reduction of credit losses to a minimum 
is of more importance than in most other lines of business. The 
advantages and disadvantages of various credit systems, and especi- 
ally their adaptability to local conditions, should be investigated 
before any one of them is adopted. 
The choice of a cash or credit system, or a modified form of such, 
will depend upon competitive conditions, prevailing trade practices, 
and the management of an effective sales organization and distribut- 
ing system. Reasons for and against may be given for each, but, in 
acca cash systems have en found to be most economical of op- 

