The postmaster-general is assisted in the administration of the Post-office Department by four assistant postmasters-general. The first assistant postmaster-general has supervision over the postmasters, post-office clerks, and city letter carriers at all post-offices, as well as the general management of the postal business of those offices, the collection, delivery, and preparation of mail for despatch. The second assistant postmaster-general is concerned entirely with the transportation of mail by rail (both steam and electric), by air, and by water. He supervises the railway mail, air mail, foreign mail services, and adjusts the pay for carrying the mail. The third assistant postmaster-general is the financial official of the department and has charge of the money-order and registry service, the distribution of postage-stamps, and the classification of mail matter. The fourth assistant postmaster-general directs the operation of the rural delivery service, the distribution of supplies, and the furnishing of equipment for the post-offices and railway mail service.
In addition to the four assistants there is a solicitor, or legal officer; a chief post-office inspector, who has jurisdiction over the traveling inspectors engaged in inspecting, tracing lost mail, and investigating mail depredations, or other misuse of the mail; a purchasing agent; a chief clerk, who supervises the clerical force at headquarters in Washington; and a controller, who audits the accounts of the 52,000 postmasters.
The Postmaster General and General Administration Assistants.
1—Hon. Hubert Work, Postmaster General.
2—Hon. John H. Bartlett, First Assistant Postmaster General.
3—Hon. Paul Henderson, Second Assistant Postmaster General.
4—Hon. W. Irving Glover, Third Assistant Postmaster General.
5—Hon. H. H. Billany, Fourth Assistant Postmaster General.
UNITED STATES POSTAL STATISTICS
| Year | Post- | Extent of | Gross Revenue | Gross Expenditure |
| (Fiscal) | offices | Post-routes | of Department | of Department |
| (Number) | (Miles) | |||
| 1800 | 903 | 20,817 | $ 280,806 | $ 213,884 |
| 1850 | 18,417 | 178,672 | 5,499,985 | 5,212,953 |
| 1860 | 28,498 | 240,594 | 8,518,067 | 19,170,610 |
| 1870 | 28,492 | 231,232 | 19,772,221 | 23,998,837 |
| 1880 | 42,989 | 343,888 | 33,315,479 | 36,542,804 |
| 1890 | 62,401 | 427,990 | 60,882,098 | 66,259,548 |
| 1900 | 76,688 | 500,989 | 102,354,579 | 107,740,267 |
| 1910 | 59,580 | 447,998 | 224,128,658 | 229,977,224 |
| 1921 | 52,050 | 1,152,000 | 263,491,274 | 620,993,673 |
COMPARISON OF MONEY-ORDERS AND POSTAL NOTES ISSUED,
FISCAL YEARS 1865 to 1921, INCLUSIVE
| Money | Domestic Money-orders Iss. | International Money-orders Iss. | Postal Notes Issued | ||||
| Year | order | ||||||
| (Fiscal) | offices | Number | Value | Number | Value | Number | Value |
| 1865 | 419 | 74,277 | $ 1,360,122.52 | ||||
| 1870 | 1,694 | 1,671,253 | 34,054,184.71 | $ 22,189.70 | |||
| 1875 | 3,404 | 5,006,323 | 77,431,251.58 | 102,250 | 1,964,574.88 | ||
| 1880 | 4,829 | 7,240,537 | 100,352,818.83 | 221,372 | 3,463,862.83 | ||
| 1885 | 7,056 | 7,725,893 | 117,858,921.27 | 448,921 | 6,480,358.83 | 5,058,287 | $ 9,996,274.37 |
| 1890 | 9,382 | 10,624,727 | 114,362,757.12 | 859,054 | 13,230,135.71 | 6,927,825 | 12,160,489.60 |
| 1895 | 19,691 | 22,031,120 | 156,709,089.77 | 909,278 | 12,906,485.67 | ||
| 1900 | 29,649 | 32,060,983 | 238,921,009.67 | 1,102,067 | 16,749,018.31 | ||
| 1905 | 36,832 | 53,722,463 | 401,916,214.78 | 2,163,098 | 42,503,246.57 | ||
| 1910 | 51,791 | 77,585,321 | 558,178,028.35 | 3,832,318 | 89,558,299.42 | ||
| 1915 | 55,670 | 105,728,032 | 665,249,087.81 | 2,399,836 | 51,662,120.65 | ||
| 1920 | 54,395 | 149,091,944 | 1,342,267,597.43 | 1,250,890 | 23,392,287.46 | ||
| 1921 | 54,183 | 144,809,855 | 1,313,092,591.08 | 876,541 | 16,675,752.16 | ||