A WAYWARD PUNT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 188, 11 August 1931, Page 6

A WAYWARD PUNT

NOBODY’S RESPONSIBILITY RIVER SETTLERS PERPLEXED There is a punt that was once at Puranui Landing, Wanganui River. Now it lies, stranded, 23 miles downstream, having been propelled there by the forces of Nature—high flood, the wind and the power of the river. To tow it back to where it will be of service to the settlers is a problem which, at the moment, no one seems prepared to undertake. The Waitotara County Council debated the matter yesterday and appointed a committee to go into ways and means of conveying the erring < piece of river furniture back to where it rightly belongs. At the same tine the council was careful to ted tho world that it had no responsibility in the matter. The Public Works Department ha<l put the punt at Paranui, had never told the < ncil anything about it. had never handed it over and, in point of fact, so the council said, the task of towing it upstream was the department’s baby—or, perhaps, a generous River Trust might be prevailed upon to help. A telegram from Mr IT. («. Dickie. / M.P. for Paten, to the engineer < T. R. Dix), was enlightening to the effect that Mr Dickie had been informed that the salvage of the punt was a county matter. Mr Dix had replied expressing surprise at this information. as the punt had been established by the department, who had not (onsuited his council. A settler had undertaken responsibility for its charge. The chairman, Cr. W. Morrison (to Cr. F. H. Allen): What about tho River Trust taking the punt back? Cr. Allen: The River Trust will tow it up if they are paid. Tt wi>l cost about £25. They towed the punt up before when it got away, and haven’t been paid yet. What we have got to decide is—who owns the punt Mr Dix: We have never taken it over. Cr. Allen: Then it is the Public Works’ liability. There was some further discussion about the question of responsibility for maintaining the punt’s moorings. 4t was mentioned that it might no sooner be back again than it would drift off. Cr. J. Cameron: Couldn't we come rm the River Trust for taking it away with their river? (Laughter). Mr Ward, a settler from Paranui Landing, threw more light on the matter. Among other things ho stated that i Maori had been paid five shillings a week to look after the punt, but had got the sack. Tho speaker wanted tn publicly deny that the punt had ever been seriously adrift before. The only * other time it gave trouble was when scary Hcrcfords had rocked it a bit ami it had capsized, finishing up only a, little way downstream on a shingle bank. Tho River Trust had lowed it back and it cost them about one hour’s work. Mr Ward added that ho had done all the correspondence about the punt. He had arranged it all with Mr Cr. A. R. Rieho-’dson: Who paid the Maori five shillings a week to look after it? Mr Ward: The Public Works Department, but they just stopped paying him. Cr. Morrison thought that as the amount was only 5s a week the settlers themselves might have paid it when the department ceased doing so. Mr Ward undertook to make himself personally responsible for the punt if it was restored to the landing and a committee, comprising Cr. Allen and the engineer, was appointed to confer with tho Public Works Department and to keep an eye on the generous pulse beats nf the River Trust. Many hearts hope that a wayward punt, one day. will come home to rest, and that tho settlers won’t have to foot