The Washington times., 1923-02-26

%stock on hand. Thus they will be
saved buying replacement stocks
which are not really needed and to
that extent, at least, cut down op.
Grating expenses.
Another object to be accomplished
through the exchange will be the
possibility of each dealer delivering
milk in his own containers. At
| present, it is said, about one-half
| of the milk delivered to consumers
j goes out in milk bottles belonging
to other diaries. While dealers de-
clared this does not materially af-
/ feet sales, nevertheless, they admit,
|, 1t does not help business.
'Only dairymen, actually engaged
/ in making milk deliveries to con-
sumers, know how great an in
convenience is caused through the
enforced use of another dairy's
bottles in delivering milk" said j..
Wilbur Sherwood, vice president of
the newly organized milk exchange.
Delay Expensive.
Bottles are not so uniform in
size, that is in outside dimensions,
that they can be depended on to
accommodate themselves to all
bottle-filling apparatus. Where
enormous quantities of milk must
be handled quickly, any delay is ex-
| pensive. Then there is the other
side to be considered. Naturally
we like to deliver our milk in orr
own bottles. 1t is more satisfactory
| to the consumer, and relieves every
one from unpleasant misunder-
| standings.
1.-THE exchange as organized will
insure It's members receiving back
their own bottles. Route men in col
] lecting empties are usually on the
rush, and without intending doing
/ so pick up other companies bottles.
! Hereafter when the outside bottles
come in they will be delivered to ex-
change headquarters, while bottles
belonging to the company Sending
them in will be returned. In this
way diaries will practically eliminate
the use of the other fellows contain
ers and be in position to know, with
considerable certainty, just what
their stock of milk bottles really
amounts to.
THE exchange will be in operation
within few days, as soon as suit
able central headquarters can be es.
tablished. 1t will save it's members
Thousands of dollars each year."
/ According to recent purchases
milk bottles average more than
cents each when bought in carload
lots. Consumers, it is declared, often
fail to realize that the milk bottle
cost is not included in the price paid
for milk. Thousands of milk bottles,
it is said. are thoughtlessly confis-
Gated by housewives, who find them
convenient containers. OF course,
this removes them from the dairy
equipment and makes replacement
necessary.
"I'll venture to say that a train
load OF milk bottles could be gathered
up in the District Of Columbia IL a
search was made" said one of the
milk dealers today.
why, there is hardly a pantry
or cellar in which from one to a
dozen cannot be found in use for
purposes they are not intended
accumulated. by the user without
the least consideration of the fact
that they had no right to retain
them.
People have grown used to see
ing them standing around in all
kinds of out Of the way places
and, once accustomed to it. they
never stop to think that each milk
bottle represents cash investment
on the part of the dairy. One milk
bottle, costing cents, does not
, amount to much, and there is not
a dairy in the District that would
refuse customer a milk bottle
but when 1t comes to wholesale APP
y propriations, when they are re
tanned in such quantities that they
fill shelves in pantries, the total
amount represented is quite an in
Vestment. I'll venture to say there
are homes in Washington where
50 or SO worth of milk bottles can
; be found right now, many Of them
empty. but being held against the
possibility they may prove usefu
some time.
"Of course, the exchange car
not get at these buried stocks OF
bottles, but just as an experiment
I'd like to see the housewives sci
out all the empties they can spare
: tomorrow morning. There would
be sudden and general accumula
ton of bottles in every dairy in
the District"
:, In certain localities, it is said
dairy interests, to protect them
= selves against the retention 81
empty milk bottles, require custom
ers to make bottle deposit Wher
! the service starts. 1t has no
> proved a satisfactory solution Il
the problem, it is said, and is no.
likely to be adopted by local dairies
According to the dairymen, it in
: wolves an accounting expense, while
it takes too much of the delivery
. mans time to check up the daily
return.
When the exchange begins func
tioning collectors Of empty mill
bottles, it is understood will hrine
in all of the bottles set out by the
Z housewife. 1t is believed by the
dairymen that with a few days
after the exchange opens the bottle
. situation, 80 far as effecting the