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. [Illustration: _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 No. of Domestic Money-orders Issued Money- Fiscal order Year Offices Number Value