The Cincinnati May Festivals are probably the most notable musical meet ings in the United States. The biennial May Festival began its work in 1873. The wonderful artistic and financial suc eess of that festival, and the one held in 1875, suggested the need of a permanent music hall for Cincinnati. This con tains one of the dozen gigantic organs of the world. Cincinnati Music Hall is a public institution—a gift to the city under the control of a self-perpetuating and incorporated organization of citi zens. The seating capacity is 3,600, and the stage is 112 feet wide and 70 feet deep—one of the largest in the United States. The Zoological Garden covers over 63 acres of ground. Its collection of wild animals is one of the largest in the world, and it is noted for its scenic beauty.
The work of the Department of Health is carried on under seven main divisions: Administration, Medical Inspection, Sani tary Inspection, Food Inspection, Labora tory, Tuberculosis Dispensary, Vital Statistics. Cincinnati has nearly 3,000 manufacturing establishments. The prin cipal products are: machine tools, soap, men's and women's clothing, boots and shoes, printing and publishing, slaughter ing and packing, furniture, leather, roll ing mill products, special machinery, sheet metal products, foundry products, printing inks, wood-working machinery, lumber and timber products, electrical machinery, wagons, musical instruments, and chemicals. The capital employed is about $212,000,000 and the annual fac tory output exceeds $300,000,000. Cin cinnati is the banking center for a vast area of thriving territory. Within the municipal limits there are eight National banks, 33 State banks, and 221 building and loan associations. In 1919 the bank clearings were $3,130,811,300. There are several imposing bank structures in Cin cinnati, among them being the enormous building of the First National Bank, and the splendid structures of the Second Na tional Bank, the Fifty-third National Bank, the Provident Savings Bank & Trust Co., and the Union Trust & Sav ings Bank.
The city has about 290 church organi zations, including 219 Protestant and 56 Catholic. There are 12 Jewish syna gogues. The city is the seat of a Ro man Catholic Archbishop and a Prot estant Episcopal Bishop. There are over 60 benevolent and welfare organi zations and 17 hospitals, besides numer ous denominational and non-sectarian homes. The public school system is thor oughly modern and well organized. There are 83 schools with over 1,800 teachers. Higher education is provided by the UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI (q. v.) and the Ohio Mechanics Institute, besides many academic and professional schools, devoted to surgery, theology, law, den tistry, art, and music. There are 17 public libraries, the Free Public Library containing over 500,000 volumes and pamphlets.
The parochial school system includes several high schools, and a well-equipped college. The total Catholic population of Cincinnati is 93,879. Catholic parochial schools number 56, with an enrollment of 16,603. There is one theological sem inary, a college for young men, four Catholic high schools for young men and women, one law school, one school for commerce, accounting, and sociology, nine academies for young ladies, and one college for young ladies. The profes sional schools include the Eclectic Medi cal College, Ohio College of Dental Sur gery, Cincinnati Law School, Lane Theological Seminary, Hebrew Union College, College of Music, and the Con servatory of Music. On College Hill is the Ohio Military Institute, a private un dertaking developed from the old Ohio Farmers' College. It furnishes academic and military training. Other private schools are the University School, Frank lin School for Boys, Oakhurst, Bartholo mew-Clifton School for Girls, various schools of expression, and business schools. The Children's Home, Cincin nati Orphan Asylum, Bethany Home, German Protestant Orphan Asylum, Jewish Foster Home, and the St. Joseph Orphan Asylum are some of the child caring institutions for the placing of homeless and destitute ones who have been committed to their care.
The government of Cincinnati is based upon a charter, adopted in November, 1917, by referendum .vote. In general, the charter provides for a city council, six of the members elected from the city as a whole, and 26 from the 26 wards of the city. The charter also provides for the election of a mayor, who is more or less independent of the council.
The present total property tax rate (including city, schools, county, library, state, and city levies) is a fraction over $15 per $1,000 valuation. Property is assessed at 100 per cent. valuation. The net funded debt of the city (less sinking fund) is $59,723,087. The total assessed realty valuation is $466,914,880. The budget for 1919 was $7,236,668. The Cincinnati Water Works are municipally owned. They have a rated capacity of 128,000,000 gallons per day; the daily consumption is in the neighborhood of 60,000,000 gallons. The pressure varies in different places from 40 to 170 pounds. The water works is self-supporting; all its needed revenue is derived from the sale of water, and none from taxes.
Cincinnati, named in honor of the So ciety of the Cincinnati, was first settled by white men in 1780, and was incor porated as a city in 1819. Mounds con taining various relics show that a por tion of the site of the city was anciently occupied. The first steamboat descend ing from Pittsburgh visited the town in 1811; the first railway was opened in 1845; the first Roman Catholic bishop was consecrated in 1822; and the city has been an archiepiscopal see since 1850.