The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-11-23
New Milk Delivery
Procedure Cuts Price
New Haven Market May Profit By Innovations
Administrator Gets Report

Innovations In milk delivery pro-
cedures IN the New Haven market
which may ultimately permit lower
price for milk In that market are
suggested In the report on survey
of the market by Stevenson, Jordan
g. Harrison, management engineers,
to Milk Administrator s. Mclean
Buckingham, and made public by
the Administrator today.
The report, bound volume Of 76
pages, accompanied by charts, con-
tainS an analysis Of conditions In
the Kew Haven market as found by
the engineers, and recommendations
for Improvement Of distribution
practice which will reduce costs. The
dealers are already working on one
Of the most important recommended
tions. Mr.. Buckingham said, and are
seeking to form a non-profiit CO.
operative organization to effect some
Of the changes recommended.
"The milk Administration has is
sued no orders as q result OF the
survey" Mr.. Buckingham said, "but
feels that the advantage to be gain
ed by the industry In accepting
these recommendations are so OBJ
vious that the dealers will make
every effort to place as many Of
them In effect as Is practical. The
consumer, we feel, will be willing to
cooperate with the industry to avert
a very real threat Of increased costs
which might be reflected In the
price they pay for milk, and to &C
complish savings which may event.
ually be reflected In actual reduction
OF retail prices under certain condi-
tons. It must be obvious to all that
these changes cannot be made too
rapidly, and we must ask the con-
sumer and the trade TO be patient
while the details are being worked
out"
One Of the most surprising sec
tons OF this report commented Mr.
Buckingham, raises serious doubts
as to whether consolidation Of all
deliveries on q certain street on a
single truck would result In any re-
duction OF cost unless q single COM
pany had q monopoly on all the
milk delivered en- that street. This
form Of consolidated delivery is most
frequently urged by persons sug-
costing methods Of reducing the
cost Of milk delivery.
Says the report
1.-THE principal saving to be ac-
complished by consolidation would
be the elimination Of part Of the
driving time. Our studies, covering
over 5000 retail stops, show that
only 10 per cent Of the delivery
mans time Is now spent In driving
for deliveries. II this time were To
be reduced four fifths, a saving OF
only IS per cent of the drivers time
and the truck costs would be ac-
complished.
I'm our opinion, the extra work
created for the driver would actually
offset this saving. He now spends
about two per cent Of his time sort
ing the products on his truck. II he
were carrying items from Ave dair-
les, 1t Is not improbable that eight
per cent Of his time would be re-
quired for this job. About nine per
cent Of the drivers time Is required
for bookkeeping. The sales Of five
dairies' products would require ct
least twice as much time. A balance
of the time gained and lost for just
these functions would indicate a net
loss of about two per cent OF the
drivers time under consolidated de-
livery"
The engineers do see. however,
savings to be gained through q sys-
tenn Of consolidated deliveries at
apartment houses. now served by
about I'VE drivers each. It Is pro-
posed that the proposed consolidated
wholesale delivery truck could leave
the milk from each dealer in O con-
venient place, designated by the
manager Of the apartments, the dis
tribution OF milk from this point de-
pending upon the number Of fami-
lies to be served. IN smaller apart
inent houses Of 80 dwelling units or
less, the building superintendent
could be employed by the proposed
dealers association to make the door