The registered mails are the most important and the most valuable. Just how valuable they are no one knows, but millions of dollars in cash and securities are handled daily, and the banks as well as other financial and commercial interests of the country would be seriously affected if the registry system ceased to operate, even for a brief period. Some idea as to the enormous values handled by the registry department may be gained from the fact that during the last fiscal year 7546 packages containing diamonds only were received from abroad, the dutiable value of which approximated $150,000,000. In all, 73,000 packages were received that were regarded as dutiable. Notwithstanding the enormous values handled, the percentage of losses is exceedingly small. According to the last report of the postmaster-general, throughout the United States the number of registered pieces amounted to 78,205,014. The New York post-office handled 41,592,423, or more than half of the total. As stated, the percentage of losses is small, and in the case of first-class registered matter of domestic origin there is an indemnity up to fifty dollars, and for the matter of the third class an indemnity up to twenty-five dollars. Under the agreements that prevail with certain foreign countries provision is also made for indemnifying the owners under certain circumstances where foreign losses occur. The handling of registered mail differs chiefly from the handling of ordinary mail in the extra care which is taken to safe-guard it. The aim is to record it at the time of receipt, and to thereafter require all persons handling it to account for it as it passes through their hands along its route. Receipts are required at all points, and the letters are forwarded in pouches secured by "rotary locks," provided with certain numbers running in sequence, controlled mechanically, the mechanism being such that the lock cannot be opened without raising the number at which the lock was set. If the lock is tampered with in transit, since record is made of the number set when it was despatched, the circumstance is apparent. REGISTERED ARTICLES HANDLED AT NEW YORK, N. Y., YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1921 Total No. Station N. Y. City Distribution Foreign of Pieces Handled G. P. O. 10,927,723 12,144,069 2,331,683 25,403,475 City Hall 2,848,002 2,832,993 230,124 5,911,119 Foreign 132,250 10,143,579 10,277,829 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Total 13,775,725 15,109,312 12,705,386 41,592,423 _The Division of Money-orders and the Postal Savings_