CITY MILK PLANTS: CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT. 3 
_ 8. Can the householders in the community be taught the value of 
milk as a food and be led to increase their demand? Are they able 
to pay a fair price for a high-grade product, and will they pay their 
bills promptly ? 
There are also minor considerations, but if the foregoing condi- 
tions are favorable the advisability of establishing a new plant in 
the vicinity will be greatly enhanced. 
HINTS TO PROSPECTIVE BUILDERS. 
The construction of a city milk plant requires careful study and 
planning. The building represents a large investment, as is shown 
in Table 8 under “ Investment in milk plant.” It is important, there- 
fore, that the plans be carefully laid. The efficiency of the plant 
depends to a large degree upon the type of equipment used and the 
arrangement of the various rooms and machinery. It is possible 
for a well-arranged plant to effect great economies in labor, while 
a poorly planned plant may become a continual source of expense 
because of the extra labor required. 
Any one contemplating building a new plant will do well to visit 
various up-to-date plants in different cities to get the latest ideas 
on construction, layout of rooms, and equipment. If it is impossible 
to visit other plants, plans and specifications sometimes can be 
obtained and ideas gained from them. By combining other dealers’ 
ideas with his own the prospective builder can usually incorporate 
the best features of all in the new plant. 
After selecting a site for the plant and determining about what is 
needed, the prospective builder should explain his general plan to a 
competent architect, who will draw up tentative sketches and plans 
which may then be studied in detail. Of course the type of machin- 
ery to be used must have been previously decided upon, since the gen- 
eral arrangement of the plant will depend a great deal on the type 
used. 
It may be well to have several plans drawn, each adapted to a par- 
ticular type of machinery. In case changes are found necessary they 
should be made in the plans before beginning the construction, as it 
is expensive to make alterations. It would be well also to have the 
plans reviewed by others experienced in the business and by health 
officials before the final plans are drawn. 
After the plans and specifications of the building have been decided 
upon, bids should be obtained from several contractors in order to 
get the work done as reasonably as possible. 
For a plant of small capacity much less detail is necessary and the - 
plans can be completed frequently without the aid of an architect. 
