34 Ciiicinnati Sociefij of Natural History 



of Ohio. City support comes mainly through two channels, 

 the Park Commission and the public schools, though the 

 public library is in some cases the intermediary. The com- 

 monest form of aid is the giving of a site, generally in a public 

 park. Cincinnati did this for her Art Museum. A score of 

 large cities have done the same, but practically all of them, 

 unless it be San Francisco, have contributed also to building 

 or support, or both. New York, besides the millions j)aid for 

 real estate, spends more than $700,000 a year on the upkeep 

 of her Art and Natural History Museums and zoological and 

 botanical gardens. New York has a well defined policy of 

 paying only for real estate and upkeep. This includes all 

 salaries, but adds nothing to the exhibits. That must be done 

 by patrons of art and science. Her experience is that gifts 

 and money flow in freely when it is known that they go directly 

 into collections. Speaking at the American Museum of Natural 

 History, Joseph A. Choate said: "The money spent by the 

 city of New York in the development of this museum and the 

 Museum of Art is the best investment of public moneys ever 

 made by it, whether we consider the direct benefit to the 

 people, or the prestige and character attained by the city as 

 the great metropolitan center of knowledge and culture." 

 Milwaukee s})ent one million dollars for a building (museum 

 and library) and gives more than $80,000 a year to museum 

 support. The St. Louis Art Museum, housed in a million 

 dollar exposition building, is authorized by law to receive a 

 mill rate which would yield $120,000 annually, but it is not 

 yet spending more than two-thirds of that amount. The St. 

 Louis School Board also operates an educational museum, 

 costing about $8,000 per year. Among the various nmseums 

 partially su])ported by Philadelphia, the one called the Phila- 

 delphia Museums receives from the city from $40,000 to $60,000 

 per 3'ear, beside $25,000 from the state for educational work 

 and substantial allotments for new collections. The John 

 Herron Art Institute of Indianapolis, beside receiving $5,000 a 

 year from membership, receives $9,000 from the School Board. 

 Beside St. Louis and Milwaukee already named, Providence, 



