|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |   | **Fiscal                  Year Ended September 30,** |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |   | **2007** |   | **2006** |   | **2005** |   | **2004** |   | **2003** |   |
| (Thousands                  of Dollars)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Income                  before interest   charges                  and income taxes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |   | $ | 112,078 |   | $ | 108,783 |   | $ | 91,435 |   | $ | 84,196 |   | $ | 80,270 |   |
|                     Add: One third of                        applicable rentals                        charged to operating                        expense (which                        approximates the      interest                  factor) |   |   | 4,710 |   |   | 4,514 |   |   | 3,250 |   |   | 2,333 |   |   | 2,873 |   |
| Total                  Earnings                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |   | $ | 116,788 |   | $ | 113,297 |   | $ | 94,685 |   | $ | 86,529 |   | $ | 83,143 |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                     Interest on long-term debt                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |   | $ | 22,502 |   | $ | 22,329 |   | $ | 22,835 |   | $ | 22,010 |   | $ | 20,169 |   |
|                     Other Interest                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |   |   | 14,727 |   |   | 13,850 |   |   | 7,714 |   |   | 6,804 |   |   | 6,802 |   |
|                     Add: One third of                        applicable rentals                        charged to operating                        expense (which                        approximates the      interest                  factor) |   |   | 4,710 |   |   | 4,514 |   |   | 3,250 |   |   | 2,333 |   |   | 2,873 |   |
|      Total                  Fixed Charges                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |   | $ | 41,939 |   | $ | 40,693 |   | $ | 33,799 |   | $ | 31,147 |   | $ | 29,844 |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Ratio                  of Earnings to Fixed   Charges                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |   |   | 2.78 |   |   | 2.78 |   |   | 2.80 |   |   | 2.78 |   |   | 2.79 |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |   | **Fiscal                  Year Ended September 30,** |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |   | **2007** |   | **2006** |   | **2005** |   | **2004** |   | **2003** |   |
| (Thousands                  of Dollars)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Income                  before interest   charges                  and income taxes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |   | $ | 80,134 |   | $ | 72,077 |   | $ | 72,092 |   | $ | 73,956 |   | $ | 76,274 |   |
|                     Add: One third of                        applicable rentals                        charged to operating                        expense (which                        approximates the      interest                  factor)       |   |   | 1,485 |   |   | 1,291 |   |   | 938 |   |   | 538 |   |   | 457 |   |
| Total                  Earnings                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |   | $ | 81,619 |   | $ | 73,368 |   | $ | 73,030 |   | $ | 74,494 |   | $ | 76,731 |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                     Interest on long-term debt                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |   | $ | 22,502 |   | $ | 22,329 |   | $ | 22,835 |   | $ | 22,010 |   | $ | 20,169 |   |
|                     Other Interest                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |   |   | 11,101 |   |   | 10,236 |   |   | 4,076 |   |   | 3,192 |   |   | 3,752 |   |
|                     Add: One third of                        applicable rentals                        charged to operating                        expense (which                        approximates the       interest                  factor) |   |   | 1,485 |   |   | 1,291 |   |   | 938 |   |   | 538 |   |   | 457 |   |
|      Total                  Fixed Charges                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |   | $ | 35,088 |   | $ | 33,856 |   | $ | 27,849 |   | $ | 25,740 |   | $ | 24,378 |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Ratio                  of Earnings to Fixed   Charges                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |   |   | 2.33 |   |   | 2.17 |   |   | 2.62 |   |   | 2.89 |   |   | 3.15 |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |