Concomitant with business growth, or perhaps at the root of it, is the growth of such public services as waterworks, and fire protection, better roads, telephones, electricity and sewage disposal, postal facilities, police.

WATER
And so the first worry of council was the installation of a waterworks system. On February 23, 1911, a report was brought back to Zimmerman and Appel on fire protection in Elmira, Zurich, Exeter, Pigeon, Michigan and Elkton, Michigan. This resulted in a directive to the clerk Mr. J.G. Field to ask Mr. H.J. Bowman of Berlin to make a survey. On March 23, 1911 Engineer Farncombe of London presented his estimate of a system: Total cost $17,379. This would include land, pump-house, 6900 feet of mains at $6275, 16 hydrants at $504 and elevated tank, 40,000 gallons, at $4000. Mr. Henry W. Kalbfleisch was sent to Elkton, Mich. to see how this system operated there. On the basis of his report, the council decided to prepare a by-law, on April 6, 1911, to install a system of waterworks for fire and domestic purposes and to issue debentures for 30 years at 5% to the amount of $20,000. The assessment at this time was $520,720, (the debenture debt was $1228) with interest yearly of $1,156.60 to be paid on the new venture.

At the meeting of the citizens, Dr. Steele suggested a sewage system be installed at the same time with wells in the village to be closed up. Mr. Andrew Baechler contended this would be too expensive. The editor of the Gazette plumped for the waterworks for it was needed to make Tavistock grow. On May 18, 1911, the by-law passed by a vote of 109 to 45.

Implementation took a little longer. Some changes were made in the original source of water when they hit water at 25 feet on the Henry Feick property to the north and a water-supply was assured. On November 23, 1911, the mains had been laid and were given a test at 60 pounds pressure. When pressure was stepped up to 120 pounds, it seems the men had trouble hanging on to the hose and were bowled over. Mr John Vance had sold the old livery stable for $1400 as a site for the pump house and tank. On January 11, 1912, a water commission was appointed by Council: Appel, Baechler, Kalbfleisch.

POLICE
This left the question of a firehall and a lock-up still unsettled. As early as May 20, 1909, Constable Henry Feick had been instructed to enforce the law about bicycles on the sidewalks and the council had decided that the quotation of $45 and $48 for cell doors was too expensive; where was he to put his arrestees if he did enforce their ruling! On June 23, 1910, Charlie Mohr was appointed assistant constable, but the chief still lacked hand-cuffs and a lock-up, even when two drunks were arrested for disturbing the peace of an E.E.B. church service, August 31 1911. Finally on July 11, 1912, something had to be done to find a place to hang up the wet fire-hose, to incarcerate the breakers-of-the-law; to house the meetings of Council, Board of Trade, School Board, Police Court, Division Court.

On July 18, 1912, the by-law for a new hall was defeated 77 against 27. One of the reasons given by a prominent merchant was that he never could find out total cost of the waterworks system and that the debentures for it had not yet been sold, even though the plans had been altered after the by-law had been passed. And so the Village saved another $4200, aimed at in the by-law.

Policing the village has never been too arduous a task, owing no doubt to the law-abiding nature of the citizens and the fact that most of them are property owners, anxious to maintain the good name of the community. Lawbreakers have come into town but have met with short shrift. Two years ago a carload of men peddled some $20 bogus bills in some of the stores. Several young lads, noticing that they were strangers, took the licence number as a matter of course; the Provincial Police apprehended them before they got past Eastwood. In 1967 when a certain party took over the old school property on William St. under the name of St.Anthony’s Boys’ School and began to solicit funds from our neighbouring municipalities, the vigilance of our local authorities resulted in a conviction in the Woodstock Courts of a man and woman, whom the “bunco” squad of the Toronto police had been trying to “catch with the goods” for a long time.

Our council still feels that our own policeman with part-time assistance is still more efficient protection than that afforded by a Provincial Police patrol, with central authority. We have been ably served by these constables: Henry Feick after incorporation with Charles Mohr, then Christ. Leuszler, as assistants; Harry Schaefer father of Mrs, Muriel Wettlaufer; John Schippling at the time of the Old boys’s Reunion in 1930; Leslie Harris, Bill Currah, Cliff Weitzel; Stanley Melbourne during the Centennial in 1948 and after; Peter Grant since the Fall of 1961, with Tom Hanlon as assistant.

Equipment too has progressed. Chief Grant does his tours of duty in an up-to-date cruiser equipped with radio communication to the nearby cities, and a radar-trap to catch the unwary speeder, but he still has no really safe place to house a law-breaker. A make-shift lock-up may be a good sign of the general lawfulness of the community and its visitors.