THE SHANNON PUNT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3511, 15 July 1926, Page 3

THE SHANNON PUNT.

HOR OWHENUA COUNTY’S * “HAPPY RELEASE.” At Saturday’s meeting of the Horowhenua County Council the chairman (Cr. Monk) reported that the Manawatu County Council were willing to take over the punt, and the No. 9 District Highways Council were agreeable that it should be so handed over. Cr. Barber said it was a happy release, but still he could not let the matter go at that, without expressing his views. It was he thought, rather showing a weakness—an admission that the Horowhenua County Council' could not control the punt, nor keep up to the requirements demanded by the public. It made the speaker feel that the northern end of the County was not receiving the attention it should, and he contended that it was because of neglect that the Council should have to call upon another local body to take over smething the Horowhenua County Council could not maintain. The Chairman agreed that there was a good deal in what Cr. Barber had said, but added that the Council were apparently not giving satisfaction. Cr. Barber: We were not trying! The Chairman disagreed, adding that he had been as much worried over the Shannon punt as anything, but with all the work and worry, the Council did not appear to have got anywhere near a solution. The Manawatu County had experience in dealing with punts. Cr. Catley: I would like Cr. Barber to specify in what particular way the Council were not trying Apart from anything else, Nature took a hand, and floods came down after which there was a deposit of something like 18 inches or two feet of silt, which had to be carted away. I know there has been a weakness, but this ‘has been in the direction of administration. With a little tact it could have been eontrolleid much better than it has been. The man on the punt has been subject to a good deal of pinpricking, and I was glad to see him at the conference between the two local bodies, and after a talk he was quite convinced of the extent to which the Council sible to the general public, and that it had been quite right in calling him to order. If he went to football matches, leaving the punt to its own devices, well, we had a right to admonish him, but the engineer should have spoken to. him before. The man had been expected to put in seven days a week on the job—that was the trouble. I know something of the circumstances and I don’t believe the Manawatu County Council will do any better than we —unless they went about it in a different way. -Cr. Barber: There were various suggestions that the engineer should try to carry out, but he didn’t do so. Cr. Ryder: Possibly, there is something in.what Cr. Barber says about our Showing the white feather, but we have taken the best way. The chairman said he sincerely hoped the punt would give satisfaction, he would not have taken this action unless he thought it would provide a solution of the difficulty. He moved that subject to the Highway Board agreeing this Council agree to the Manawatu County

Council taking over the punt. Cr. Barber: You said you had the sanction of this Council to mako this offer. That is not on record.

The chairman: It is not. on record, but I took the feeling of the meeting on it. THE COST OF THE PUNT.

The Main Highways Board requested payment of £305 3s lOd, representing the County’s quarter chare of the cost of erecting the Manawatu River punt, less work done amounting to £239 2s Id. Councillors expressed surprise at the amount of the claim, but the chairman said the Manawatu County Council, had expended £690 in acquiring land and making a road for the approach on their side. The County Treasurer was not quite satisfied with the details given of the account and on the chairman’s motion it was left to Mr. Hudson to request further parti-culars.—-Chronicle.