MILK-PLANT OPERATION. 
13 
Using the data in 
Tables 3 and 4, it is 
possible to make a com- 
parison of the labor 
economy of the various 
methods of filling and 
capping for plants of va- 
rious sizes. The graphs, 
Figures 10 and 11, 
are based on these data. 
Labor in the plant was 
considered as costing 50 
cents an hour and the 
allowance for deprecia- 
tion and repairs on the 
equipment each year 
was considered as 20 per 
cent of the purchase 
price. The values used 
in the calculations for 
the various machines 
were based upon the 
average prices at which 
the particular machines 
used at these plants 
could be purchased at 
the time (1922). 
Figure 10 shows the 
comparative costs for 
labor and for interest 
and depreciation on 
equipment for plants 
bottling less than 10,000 
bottles daily and using 
only one machine. The 
figures used are taken 
from Table 3 and are 
based on labor costs 
obtained at 81 such 
plants. It will be noted 
that for this size of 
plant, if only one ma- 
chine is used the auto- 
matic machines of the 
rotary and single-row 
types are the most eco- 
nomical. The higher 
purchase price of the 
large automatic machine 
makes its use practically 
prohibitive for plants of 
small capacities. 
The costs with the ma- 
chine filler and capper 
.23 
.26 
.24 
,22 
Is 
1* 
.20 
In 
./a 
X 
5 
A \ 
./s 
l\ 
./<? 
•z. 
,/2 
S^: 
t^?**"*-" 
VO 
.03 
^ 
c 
-^ 
^ 
=>?— 
.06 
.O* 
.02 
/t us N 
r> 
O 2000 -4,000 S.OOO <3,000 /O.0OO 
A't/Af/Sffi' or sorrLzs /?£/.£-& aa//p capped D^/iy 
Fig. 10. — Comparative costs for labor and for interest and depre- 
ciation on equipment in five methods of bottling milk, where 
one machine is used, based on labor costs at 81 plants using one 
machine each and bottling less than 10,000 bottles daily. 
