Then city delivery cost but little; now it costs $31,805,485.28. In 1872 there were issued of stamps, stamped envelopes and wrappers less than $18,000,000 (there were no postal cards); now are issued, including postal cards, $202,064,887.96, more than ten times as much. Observe that the weight of second-class matter is 752,428,141 pounds greater than in 1872, costing therefore (according to some official mathematicians), more than 9 cents a pound for transportation, or a total of $67,718,532.69. The deficit for 1910 is almost identical with that of 1872. 1885-1910 As late as 1885 the government income from the issue of stamps, stamped envelopes and wrappers and postal cards was $35,924,137.70. In 1910 it was $202,064,887.96, more than five times as much. The number of registered letters issued in 1885 was 11,043,256; in 1910 it was 40,151,797. The amount of money orders issued rose from $117,858,921 in 1885 to $498,699,637 in 1910. The total postal receipts rose from $42,560,844 in 1885 to $224,128,657 in 1910, an increase of $181,567,813. The postage rate on second-class matter in 1885 was double what it is now. During the intervening period the weight of second-class matter had increased about 600,000,000 pounds. Now we will get down a little closer in this business and see what has happened within the last five years. 1906-1911 In 1906 there was a gain in weight of second-class matter of 41,674,086 pounds; in that year the deficit was $10,516,999. In 1907 there was a gain in weight of 52,616,336 pounds--11,000,000 pounds more than in 1906; the deficit was reduced to $6,653,283. In 1908 there was a _loss_ instead of gain in weight of second-class matter of 18,079,292 pounds; the deficit went up to $16,873,223, an increase over the year before of more than $10,000,000. In 1909 there was only a slight gain in weight of 28,367,298 pounds; the deficit went up to $17,441,719. In 1910 there was a gain in weight of 94,865,884 pounds, the largest ever known; and the deficit dropped to $5,848,566.88. From 1906 to 1910 there were 198,863,387 pounds increase in the weight of second-class matter; the deficit was $4,668,432.12 less in 1910 than in 1906. The impression is prevalent that the amount paid for railway transportation was cut down the past year, but the truth is that the railroads were paid $44,654,514.97, the railway mail service and the postoffice car service cost $24,065,218.88, a total of $68,719,733.85, which is more by a half million than was paid in 1909, and over $7,000,000 more than was paid in 1906. It is claimed that there is no definite relation between deficits and second-class matter; very well, the foregoing are the official figures; let them speak for themselves.