_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. * * * * * The number of postmasters in the United States are, according to classes, 567 in the first, 2,211 in the second, 6,414 in the third, and 46,742 in the fourth class. Total, 55,934. * * * * * Custer County, Montana, has one of the longest mail routes in the United States. This line runs from Miles City to Stacey, Olive, Broaddus, Boyer, Graham, and Biddle. It is said to be 126 miles long and some contend that it is longer. * * * * * The longest star route in the United States is from Helper to Vernal, Utah, 116 miles, and the price the Government pays is $38,678.70 per annum. The longest route in Alaska, is overland, Barrow to Kotzbue, 650 miles. The shortest route is in Pennsylvania, from Keiser to Natalie, 65/100. There is one route in New York, Delhi to Bloomville, 8 miles and back, twelve times a week, for which the contractor receives but 1 cent per annum, no doubt considering the advantage of carrying the mail as a sufficient compensation for taking the job at such a rate. * * * * * There are 3,010 counties in the United States, 984 have rural service and steps are being taken to see what can be done with the remainder, though any considerable progress in such direction must be slow as a great deal of preliminary work must be done before any real action can be taken. * * * * *