THE SHANNON PUNT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3512, 17 July 1926, Page 2

THE SHANNON PUNT.

A HEAVY EXPENDITURE. At Thursday’s meeting of the Manawatu County Council, advice was received from the Public Works Department to. the effect that at a meeting of the executive of No. 9 Highways District Council, it was resolved that the cost of erection of the Manawatu river punt, to maintain temporary connection between Shannon and Foxton, should he apporioned as follows: Main Highways Board half; Manawatu and Horowhenua County Councils quarter each. The actual cost of the work is £2,177 3s 7d, of which £I,OBB 11s 9d is payable by the Highways Board, and the other half by the two Councils. The Manawatu County’s share of the work amounts to £544 5s lid. The Council paid about £360. Cr. W. E. Barber reported that it lias been proposed to hand the control of the punt to the Manawatu County, and when the punt was taken over, it should he a condition that the Council had the right to procure metal from the Horowhenua County’s metal pit. The speaker also directed attention to the fact that the engine had not yet been obtained to work the punt. Recently during a heavy gale, the man in charge of he punt had a difficult task in man-hauling the punt acress the river. -Something like 50 motor ears w.ife transported across the river. Something like work. It looked as though the new bridge would be built before the promised engine was in operation. The chairman (Cr. H. H. Hunt) said that the installing of an engine on the punt had not been lost sight of, and every effort was being made to expedite its operation. The matter of the use of the gravel pit is to be brought under the notice of the Horowhenua County Council, and the Council resolved to take over the punt.