Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-04-29
Associated Milk Supply.

In reply TO the numerous letters OF in
quiry concerning the various methods of
supplying milk to the people of the different
cities in the Union. we would say that the
city of Syracuse, N. Y, was one of the
first to obtain its milk supply through an
association of farmers and others, formed
tor the express purpose of delivering
country milk to city customers without the
Intervention of the middle man. The sec
rotary wrote US, some time since, that
their association is in very prosperous
condition, holding property to the amount
of about 100000, which was nearly free
from debt. New barns have since been
built to stable the 40 horses used for dis
tributng the milk to patrons. The drivers
and other employees are boarded by the
association, at a cost of about So per
month for the best of board. The farm.
ers who supply the milk. deliver it to the
milk depot once day, and have no fur
Their responsibility or care, except
to draw their proportion of the
proceeds of the sales on the third
day of each month. The total expenses
for selling the milk have never at any
time exceeded one cent quart, while
milkmen generally through the country
get from two cents to three or four, or
more cents per quart, tor doing the same
work.
The advantages of the Syracuse system
are, an even quality of milk. delivered to
all the patrons alike, SO there is no occa-
sion for patrons to change milkmen cheap
delivery, as each driver furnishes sup
ply to all the families on the a street. or
in the district driven over. and compare
lively low prices to producers, owing to the
low cost of handling the product. The sur
plus milk-a surplus there must be to give
a full supply at all times-is worked up
to the best advantage in one central depot.
( instead of being wasted at the producers
homes, or forced upon the market at un.
remunerative prices. The Syracuse Co.
have large ice cream trade in summer,
and skinned milk is supplied to those
who desire it at low prices.
Springfield Mass, has recently formed
a similar association that is meeting with
encouraging success. This company
bought out all the principal milk routes
in the city, paying high price for them.
hoping thereby to avoid costly period of
competition at the start. but the expert
ment did not prove successful one, as
the mlkmen who were retained ia the
employ of the association as drivers have
not uniformly been in S, sympathy with the
new order of things, and have not always
worked tor the best interests of the asso.
citation. The Springfield Co. has pur
chased valuable real estate in the citv.up
on which it has erected large buildings
for milk depot, butter factory, and sta.
bles for the teams employed.
The city of Lowell is introducing SIM
liar system tor the supply of her milk con.
sumers. Worcester has a milk consum-
ers' association. through which members
are supplied with uniformly choice quail
! ity of milk, at reasonable rates. In each
OF these cities, the chief gain is due to
the reduced cost of distributing the milk
among customers, owing to the fact that
several teams are not constantly crossing
each others routes but each team delivers
all the milk consumed in its own district or
territory. In Worcester, the members
work for the interest of the association nv
inviting new members, and bv paving
cash in advance invariably, through the
purchase of tickets. Any small city or
village can introduce the Syracuse svs-
tenn, more or less modified according to
the necessities of the case by a combipa.
ton OF the milk pedlers, designed to re-
duce the cost of delivery. each driver TAX
ing his proportion of the territory and
supplying all the trade in that territory.
10 do this Will require that the milk shall
be in some way made of uniform quality,
so that buyers can have no occasion tor
changing one milkman for another. Ac-
cordlng to report of the Worcester As
soclatlon now before us. sixty-six per
cent of the patrons were receiving better
milk through the association than thew
had previously received, and ninety-nine
per cent reported themselves as perfectly
satisfied with the milk received.
There is scarcely business in the
country that is managed so extensively
for both producers and consumers as the
business of supplying the cities with milk.
1t would pay anyone interested in the
business to visit the milk depot at SYRIA
cuse or Springfield and then COPY so
much OF the new system as may be adapted
to the locality where introduced.-N E.
Farmer.