Item 78 - Richard Jones to William Whewell

4 pp.

Tithe Commmission - Thanks WW for his account of the election: 'I am glad you were able to vote for Mill without injuring Wordsworth [Christopher Wordsworth junior]'. RJ is 'puzzled for some measure of the addition of human power made by tools[,] machinery etc. independently of any moving force besides the human frame. Dupin [Charles Dupin] and others confine themselves in comparing the relative productive powers of nations to a comparison of moving forces as wind['] steam[,] horses etc'. However 'give one man a spade[,] hoe and pickaxe leave another without them - what a difference between a population well supplied throughout with the best implements and machinery and a population ill supplied though their motive force be assumed the same. Take a cotton mill and a 80 horse power steam engine - but then look inside the mill and see the mechanical contrivances - do not they add also to the productive power of the population - why do I scribble all this why I want to ask you if you think Willis [Robert Willis] would give any thought to the subject if I wrote a short paper on it and sent it to him'. 'In estimating the progress and present state of industry throughout the world it is of essential importance and has been overlooked'.