SHANNON PUNT.

Shannon News, 20 July 1926, Page 2

SHANNON PUNT.

MANAWATU TO TAKE CONTROL. At Thursday's meeting of the Manawatu County Council, advice was received from the Public Works Department to the effect that 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 Fo-xton, should be .apportioned 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 lls 9d -is payable by the Highways Board, and the other half toy the two Councils. . The Manawatu County’s share of the work amounts to' £544 5s lid. The Council had paid about £360. Gr. W. E. Barber reported that it -had been proposed to hand the control of the punt to the Manawatu County, and when the punt was taken over, it should be 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 liad not yet been used to work the punt. Recently during a heavy gale, the man in charge of the punt had a difficult task in man-hauling the punt across the river. Something like 50 motor cars were transported across, and it proved very hard work. It looked as though the new bridge would bg built before the promised engine was in operation. The chairman (Civ H. H. Hunt) said that the engine 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.