| 1900 | 1917 | |
| Number of routes | 22,834 | 11,208 |
| Cost mile of length | $19.02 | $54.56 |
| Cost mile of travel | 3.83 cents | 10.24 cents |
| Cost per route | $224.81 | $723.00 |
| Registration and insurance: | |
| Total registration, paid and free | 39,236,569 |
| Amount collected fees | $3,427,053.10 |
| Insured parcel post, total pieces | 24,936,082 |
| Total fees | $1,067,192.29 |
| C. O. D. pieces | 6,300,546 |
| Fees | $630,054.60 |
Items of General Interest
Statistics show that although 70 per cent of parcel post matter comes from the fifty largest cities of the country, these cities only receive 17 per cent of parcels for delivery. The smaller post offices which receive 65 per cent of the parcels, dispatch only 9½ per cent.
The annual readjustment of the salaries of presidential postmasters, will, according to the provisions in the postal appropriation bill for 1917, be based on the gross receipts for the four quarters ending December 31, instead of March 31, as heretofore.
Eligibles for fourth-class postmaster places are selected in the order of their civil service rating unless good and sufficient reasons to the contrary are submitted to the Department. Of 32,000 of such eligibles, 89.5 of those whose names appeared first on the list were appointed. In 8 per cent the second highest were selected, and in 2.5 per cent, the third.