Postal Savings Banks were established by the Postal Savings Act of 25 June 1910. See BANKS AND BANKING' POSTAL SAVINGS BANKS and POSTAL SAVINGS SYSTEM.
Increase of Rates.— In November 1917 the law for increased postage for war revenue went into effect, and first class mail, drop let ters and post cards were raised one cent each. The rate on magazines containing over 5 per cent advertising was also increased, according to zones of delivery. Former rates restored 1919.
In the United States in 1789 there were only 75 post offices established, the length of the post routes being 2,275 miles and thegross revenue of the de partment being only $7,510. The expenditures for the same year were $7,560 and of this only $1,657 were paid in salaries to postmasters. In 1875 there were 278,000 miles of postage routes, a revenue of 'y7,000,000, with expenses of nearly $34,000,111. In 1900 there were 428,000 miles of post routes, a revenue of $110,000,000, and expenses of $120,000,000. The total number of post-offices was reduced from 74,169 in 1903 to 55,413 in 1917, rural free delivery causing the dropping of small offices. There were in 1910, 59,580 post offices in operation, 447,998 miles of post routes, 553,312,998 miles of mail service performed. The gross revenues of the depart ment were $224,128,657.63, the expenditures
$229,977,224.50, and $27,521,01329 were paid as compensation to postmasters. In 1917 these figures had grown to 55,413 offices, 479,487 miles of post routes, $329,726,116 revenue, and $319, 83.3,718 expenditure. In 1911, 1913, 1914, 1916 and 1917 the post office showed a profit, and it is the policy of the department to continue mak ing a slight profit. From June 1847 to June 1851, 4,603,M0 postage stamps were issued, while in the single year 1910, 11,360,353,679 stamps were used by the people of the United States. In 1853, the year in which stamped en velopes were first issued, 5,000,000 were used, while in 1910 the total was 1,506,861,593. The first year's issue of postal cards — 1873 — num bered 31,094,000, while in 1910 726,441,000 were issued. The registry system was started in 1854, and in that year the registered pieces num bered 629,322. In 1910 they numbered 42,053, 574. In 1865 money-orders to the amount of $1,360,122 were issued, while in 1910 the.total amounted to $647,736,327, and in 1917 it was $855,000,000. The number of pieces of matter of all kinds mailed increased from 500,000 in 1790 to about 20,000,000,000 in 1919. For further information see PHILATELY; POST AND POSTAL SEavita; STAMPS, POSTAGE; and related refer ences.