6 July 1917 Woodyard Closed for Summer
9 July 1917 City Council Stages Row; New Line-up
10 July 1917 'Retain Bureau' Will Be Appeal
11 July 1917 Denies Attempt to Recall Mayor
13 July 1917 Offer Petition
16 July 1917 Woman's Protective Bureau, Pastor Opposes "Log Rolling" (see below)
17 July 1917 Protective Bureau is Abolished by Council
18 July 1917 Raid On Protective Bureau Is Charged
Oakland Tribune, July 16, 1917
Would Free Charity of Politics
"Log rolling" by politicians and wood-splitting by the Oakland woodyard are two separate and distinct functions, according to Rev. William Keeney Towner, pastor of the First Baptist church, who has recommended that the woodyard and woman's protective bureau be taken out of the manipulative influences of the city government and placed under church control. Rev. Mr. Towner enunciated his theories from the pulpit last night in a sermon on "The City Commissioners and the Public Charities." He said:
"Not only should the churches take over the management of these departments, but they should finance them as well. I do not purpose that the ministers should to the work--they already have all they can do--but each church should elect one of its congregation, directly repsonsible to the church, to serve on the board of directors. The work of charity has not place in the city government. It belongs to the church. Both the Woman's Protective Bureau and the woodyard are charitiable functions.
"I have no criticism to make concerning Mrs. Beatrice McCall Whitnah. During the time she has been the head of the Woman's Protective Bureau she has done a splendid work. I do not know of anyone who could have filled the office more efficiently. Neither do I condemn the city commissioners. The office is a peculiar one and requires that many of the cases be kept confidential. It was the business of Mrs. Whitnah to keep them confidential except to report on them in a general way. It was the business of the commissioners to know specifically what was going on. This brought about friction."