A statistical chain-ratio method for estimating relative volumes of mail to given destinations

Abstract

A samplin g m ethod,. called th~ chain ratio m ethod, is appli ed in es t imat in g t he distribll-tlOn of m a il by dest lllatlOn. Vana nces and coe ffi cie nts of vari ation for the estimato rs are gi ve n. The details a nd r esults of t hree a ppli cations of t hi s samplin g m ethod to outgoin g first-class lette r mai l a rc give n. These studies ,yere condu cted by t he National BUI'ea u of Stall clarcls i n San Francisco, Los Augeles, and Baltimore. I Prese nt address: University of Bnffalo. 2 Italicized terms h ave special meanings in this stud y and arc clefined in srcLion 2. 1 of this paper or in the Postal T erm Glm~s(lTY, U .S. . Post Office D epa rtment, A u!!ust 1956, P.O .D. Publi cation 18_ 3 l. . "igures i n brackets ind icate the liter ature references at t l lC I)nci of this paper.