EXHIBIT 12
<TABLE>
                          THOMAS & BETTS CORPORATION
              COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
                            (Thousands of Dollars)
                                        

                        Nine Months                  For the Years Ended                 
                           Ended     ---------------------------------------------------- 
                         Sept. 28,    Dec 29,   Dec. 31,   Jan. 1,    Jan. 2,    Dec. 31, 
                           1997        1996       1995      1995       1994        1992   
                         --------    ---------  ---------  --------  ---------  --------- 
<S>                      <C>         <C>        <C>        <C>       <C>        <C>
Earnings from  
 continuing operations
 before income taxes     $158,886    $ 90,878   $128,930   $40,194   $ 83,542   $ 62,738 
 
Add:
 Interest and related
  debt charges
  included in expense      38,301      50,745     33,970    32,437     36,071     40,974 
  
 Portion of rents 
  representative of
  the interest factor       8,448      11,399     10,766     9,766      9,266      8,421 

Deduct:
 Interest capitalized
  and undistributed 
  earnings from less-
  than-50-percent-
  owned entities           (9,956)     (8,642)    (2,848)   (1,863)         -          - 
                         ---------   ---------  ---------  --------  ---------  --------- 
Earnings 
 as adjusted             $195,679    $144,380   $170,818   $80,534   $128,879   $112,133 
                         ---------   ---------  ---------  --------  ---------  --------- 
                         ---------   ---------  ---------  --------  ---------  --------- 
Fixed charges: 
 Interest and related
  debt charges
  included in expense      38,301      50,745     33,970    32,437     36,071     40,974 

 Portion of rents
  representative of
  the interest factor       8,448      11,399     10,766     9,766      9,266      8,421 
                         ---------   ---------  ---------  --------  ---------  --------- 

Total fixed charges      $ 46,749    $ 62,144   $ 44,736   $42,203   $ 45,337   $ 49,395 
                         ---------   ---------  ---------  --------  ---------  --------- 
                         ---------   ---------  ---------  --------  ---------  --------- 
Ratio of earnings
 to fixed charges             4.2x        2.3x       3.8x      1.9x       2.8x       2.3x
                         ---------   ---------  ---------  --------  ---------  --------- 
                         ---------   ---------  ---------  --------  ---------  --------- 
</TABLE>
                       
    (1)  The ratio of earnings to fixed charges represents the number of 
    times fixed charges are covered by earnings from continuing operations.  
    For purposes of computing this ratio, earnings consist of earnings from 
    continuing operations before income taxes, plus fixed charges less 
    capitalized interest and less undistributed earnings from 
    less-than-50-percent-owned entities.  Fixed charges consist of interest
    expense and such portion of rental expense which the Corporation 
    estimates to be representative of the interest factor attributable to 
    such rental expense.