THE TE RIMU PUNT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 107, 9 May 1933, Page 4

THE TE RIMU PUNT

’ SWEPT DOWN STREAM WHO WILL RESTORE ITf A QUESTION OF OWNERSHIP "As the crashing logs came And their tumult filled the air, . Then Te Rimu murmured, sleeping, ’Tis awake in ould Kildare.’ The river rose and found the punt Resting lightly on the st team, And the cruel waters took that punt. Ere they wakened from their dream. ” The falling of rains, the swelling of streams and the mighty flood of the river, with its crashing logs—these are God’s business. But when the punt at Te Rimu is swept away because the flood snaps its mooring post of solid totara like a man would break a twig, and the waters carry rnat punt far down the Valley of the Wanganui W a lonely salvage-found site beside a red light at Putiki, towing it back to Te Rimu is man’s business. When the punt, is of doubtful origin and no one claims to be its master, then getting it back is not only man’s business, it is a ticklish undertaking. So much so, in fact, that the Wai* totara County Council, faced with a rocpiest to restore to the To Rimu settlers their only legal access, took Lully an hour yesterday to make up its mind. Even after an hour there was no definite <l< N ion made, except that the best policy would be for the county to accept title of ownership, to set aside certain rates, if they wore promptly paid, and look for another contribution or two from settlers af fectcd towards the cost of restoring the punt to To Rimu. Air. A. Feathcrson, the settler most vitally affected, waited on the council vesterday in company with Mr. P. Wickham. They both stressed the handicap Te Rimu and its district' was suffering at loss of the punt. In view of the fact that Mr. Featherston paid rates and had no road, would thf council have tho punt repaired and re stored? ■ "Doos the council <rkn the punt or do you?” Cr. Morrison asked Mr* Featherston. Mr. Featherston: What, are you going to bring all that up again? Cr. L. T. Jones. The county has a» good a memory as anybody else when it looks at the correspondence. We spent £25 on the punt some years ago and you said it was yours, not ours. Air. Featherston remarked that he was forced to doing something to justify ms position in control of the punt. There were certain people who would iaterfcie if they thougnt it did not belong to him. "I had to show my authority,” he said. Air. Morrison: What is the position to-day? Do you still want to claim the punt? If it is yours we can’t help you. Cr. Jones: You have shown very definitely, by the correspondence, that you claimed the punt in the past, Air. Featherston. You can't very Wellcome here now and ask us to repair it and take it back. We want to decide definitely whether you want to remain the owner, or whether you will let th • council own it and appoint you as care taker. Cr. Aloirison (to Cr. Jones): You had better let me handle this, Cr. Jones. (To Air. Featherston): What are you prepared to contribute to the cost of towing Hh punt back? Mr. Featherston: You’ve got me properly bailed uj). (Laughter). Air. Alonitou: For your own sake 1 would advise you to let the council have the punt. Mr. Featherston: tSo long as there is no interference from outside and from officers of the council. If Air. Dix will bury |the hatchet, we can start off ’fresh. Mr. Dix: There is no hatchet to bury. (Laughter). Air. Dix added that he had understood the punt had belonged to the council and he had reported on how it had been moored some years ago. After further discussion it was decided that the council take over the ownership, Air. Featherston finally agreeing, with reluctance, to relinquish his claim, profferec in bygone years. Tho understanding was that, after deducting the hospital levy and adnrnistration expenses worn his rates, the council would set aside the balance to pay Air. Featherston as caretaker of the punt, and he would refund that towards the cost of towing rhe punt upstream. In the meantime the council is to approach others benefiting by the punt and endeavour to obtain further contributions towards its re establishment.