Exhibit 4

                                      October 5, 1998



     Douglas H. Yaeger, as President of Laclede Gas Company, and Gerald T.
McNeive, Jr., as Senior Vice President - Finance and General Counsel of
Laclede Gas Company, pursuant to certain resolutions adopted by the Laclede
Gas Company Board of Directors on July 24, 1997, and on October 23, 1997,
which resolutions, among other things, granted to certain Company officers
the authority to execute such amendments as they may deem necessary,
appropriate or desirable (A) to reflect changes in benefits to be afforded
the Company's non-union employees, which changes in benefits shall be
generally comparable to the changes in benefits afforded to members of
the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union, Local 5-6 and Local 5-194 under
the collective bargaining agreements between the Company and each of such
Locals; and (B) in connection with the appointment of American Express
Trust Company as trustee of the Laclede Gas Company Wage Deferral Savings
Plan (the "Plan"); do deem it necessary, appropriate and desirable that the
Plan amendments in the attached Exhibit A be effectuated by the Company,
such amendments to be effective on the dates specified for each such
amendment in Exhibit A and to be evidenced by the signatures on the
attached Exhibit A of Douglas H. Yaeger and Gerald T. McNeive, Jr.




































                                 Page 19<PAGE>
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                  AMENDMENTS FOR THE LACLEDE GAS COMPANY
                       WAGE DEFERRAL SAVINGS PLAN


The following amendments are effective February 1, 1998, except where
otherwise noted.

1. Section 1.2 is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

   "1.2 Named Plan Fiduciaries
        The authority to control and manage the operation and
        administration of this Plan shall be vested in the Plan
        Administrator.  As the sponsor of this Plan, the Company shall have
        the right to amend this Plan, to designate this Plan's named
        fiduciaries, and to exercise all functions necessary to the
        operation of this Plan, except those which are, by this Plan or the
        related Trust Agreement, assigned to another named fiduciary or to
        Participants, and, as the Plan Administrator, the Company shall
        have the authority and responsibility for the general
        administration of this Plan, with the right to appoint an
        Administrator or Administrative Committee to exercise such
        authority and responsibility, including the right to appoint one or
        more Investment Managers.  Except to the extent that authority and
        discretion are allocated to one or more Investment Managers, the
        Trustee shall have the exclusive authority and discretion to
        invest, manage and control the assets of the Trust by which this
        Plan will be funded, subject to and in accordance with the
        provisions hereof and of the separate Trust Agreement and to
        matters in which the Trustee is directed by the Participants, the
        Administrator or the Company.  The rights and responsibilities of
        each named fiduciary shall be exercised severally and not jointly,
        but any party may serve in more than one fiduciary capacity with
        respect to this Plan."

2.  A new unnumbered paragraph is hereby added at the end of Section 2.14
    to read as follows:

    "In the event that an individual who was not classified as an Employee
     or a common-law employee is legally reclassified as an Employee or a
     common-law employee of the Company, such Employee shall only first be
     considered to be an Employee at the time of such reclassification, or,
     if later, at the time that such individual is initially treated as an
     Employee or common-law employee on the payroll records of the   
     Company."

3.  Section 2.16 is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

    "2.16 "Equity Fund"
          The separate portion of the Fund or Funds which is to be invested
          in accordance with Section 6.5 of this Plan."

4.  Section 2.32 is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

    "2.32 "Trustee"
          That corporation designated by the Company from time to time to
          act as Trustee under the Trust Agreement."

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<PAGE>
5.  A new Section 2.36 is hereby added to read as follows:

    "2.36 "Investment Manager"
          Any entity designated by the Company to direct the investment and
          reinvestment of one, or more, of the Investment Funds subject to
          the Trust Agreement.  The Company shall have the authority to
          confirm or deny the appointment of any Investment Manager."

6.  A new Section 2.37 is hereby added to read as follows:

    "2.37 "Valuation Date"
          Valuation Date means any day that the New York Stock Exchange is
          open for business or any other date chosen by the Administrator."

7.  The third sentence of Section 4.2(a) is hereby replaced in its entirety
    to read as follows:

    "Such agreement shall be delivered at least ten (10) days in advance of
    its intended effective date (or such shorter period as the
    Administrator shall determine to be administratively feasible), which
    shall always be the first payroll date on or after the next succeeding 
    Enrollment Date, and shall be effective beginning with the first
    payment of Compensation made on or after such Enrollment Date."

8.  Effective July 1, 1997, the fourth sentence of Section 4.2(a) is hereby
    amended in its entirety to read as follows:

    "All such wage deferrals shall be expressed as a percentage of
    Compensation (which must be at least nine-tenths (0.9%) of Compensation
    and which must be in one-tenth percent (0.1%) increments) or in dollar
    or half-dollar amounts (which at a minimum must be five dollars ($5.00)
    for each weekly payroll period), up to, but not exceeding, fifteen
    percent (15%) of the Participant's rate of Compensation determined
    prior to such deferral; however, in the event that a Participant's wage
    deferral for a particular weekly payroll period should exceed fifteen
    percent (15%) for such weekly payroll period, wage deferrals for
    subsequent weekly payroll periods shall be adjusted, as necessary, to
    ensure that the fifteen percent (15%) maximum wage deferral is not
    exceeded on an annual basis for such Plan Year."

9.  Section 4.2(b) is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

    "(b)  A Participant may change his rate or amount of wage deferral by
          filing a properly completed and signed change order with the
          Administrator at least ten (10) days in advance of the intended
          effective date stated in such change order, which shall always be
          the first payroll date on or after the next succeeding Enrollment
          Date, and such change shall be effective beginning with the first
          payment of Compensation made on or after such Enrollment Date."

10.  Section 4.2(c) is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

     "(c)  A Participant may discontinue his wage deferral at any time, but
           only once in any Plan Year, by filing a properly completed and
           signed change order with the Administrator at least ten (10)
           days in advance of the intended effective date stated in such
           change order, which may be any date specified by the
           Participant, and such cessation shall be effective beginning
           with the first payment of Compensation made on or after such

                                 Page 21<PAGE>
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           effective date or as soon as administratively feasible
           thereafter.  A Participant who has discontinued his wage
           deferral pursuant to this subsection may resume wage deferral
           effective as of any subsequent Enrollment Date by following the
           procedure set out in subsection (a) of this Section 4.2." 

11.  A new Section 4.2(d) is hereby added to read as follows:

     "(d)  Notwithstanding any provision in this Plan to the contrary,
           investment elections, changes or transfers, loans, and certain
           other decisions or elections by a Participant under this Plan
           may be accomplished by electronic or telephonic means which are
           not otherwise prohibited by law and which are in accordance with
           procedures and/or systems approved or arranged by the
           Administrator or its delegate expressly for that purpose."

12.  Effective August 1, 1998, Section 5.1(a) is hereby amended in its
     entirety to read as follows:

     "(a)  Subject to subsection (b) of this Section 5.1, for each weekly
           payroll period, the Company shall contribute to the Trust under
           this Plan an amount (not to exceed three and one-half percent
           (3-1/2%) of the Compensation of such Participant for such
           payroll period) equal to one-half (1/2) of the wage deferral of
           each Participant for such payroll period, provided that the
           amount of such Matching Contribution shall not exceed the
           current and accumulated profits of the Company."

13.  Section 6.1 is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

     "6.1  Investment of Contributions
           Each Participant shall be permitted to direct the investment of
           his Account into any one (1) or more of the Investment Funds,
           provided, however, that (i) in the case of an investment
           direction under Section 6.2 of this Plan, at least one percent
           (1%) of the total amount of Wage Deferral Contribution and
           Matching Contribution with respect to such Participant shall be
           designated for investment in each Investment Fund selected by
           the Participant, and (ii) in the case of an investment direction
           for all or a portion of the accumulated balance of such
           Participant's Account under Section 6.3 of this Plan, at least
           one percent (1%) of the total amount over which such investment
           direction is made shall be designated for each Investment Fund
           selected by the Participant."

14.  A new unnumbered paragraph is hereby added at the end of Section 6.2
     to read as follows:

     "Participant investment elections which Participants originate
     electronically or by telephone pursuant to Section 4.2(d) will be
     effective no later than on the first Valuation Date following the date
     on which the Participant originated the election."

15.  Section 6.3 is hereby amended in it entirety to read as follows:

     "6.3 A Participant's Investment Direction for Accumulated Account
               Balances
          Either with or without changing his investment direction with
          respect to Contributions to be made thereafter, subject to the
        
                                 Page 22<PAGE>
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          provisions of Section 6.1 of this Plan, a Participant may, by
          written notice given to the Administrator at least ten (10) days
          in advance of the first day of any calendar month (the intended
          effective date), direct that the accumulated balance in his
          Account be invested in one or more of the Investment Funds as
          soon as practicable on or after the intended effective date.  The
          valuation of the Participant's Account as of the end of the day
          immediately preceding the intended effective date of such
          investment direction shall be controlling for purposes of
          implementing the investment direction.  A change in investment
          direction under this Section 6.3 can be made only two (2) times
          per month.

          Participant investment directions which Participants originate
          electronically or by telephone pursuant to Section 4.2(d) will be
          effective no later than on the first Valuation Date following the
          date on which the Participant originated the election."

16.  Section 6.4 is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

     "6.4 Company Stock Fund
          The Company Stock Fund shall be invested by the Trustee in a
          pooled investment account consisting of Shares and the Money
          Market Fund; provided however, that the Trustee may invest such
          portion in the Money Market Fund as may, from time to time, be
          determined necessary to maintain liquidity and operation of the
          Plan.  The Trustee may also receive and retain in the Company
          Stock Fund any Shares issued as a stock dividend or stock split,
          or in any other reclassification of Shares, and any warrant,
          right, option or similar instrument which gives the holder the
          right to acquire any Shares under any circumstances, distributed
          on or in respect of any Shares held in the Company Stock Fund
          (and shall sell any other instrument or property so received
          which does not give the holder the right to acquire Shares). 
          Contributions to the Company Stock Fund shall be applied by the
          Trustee to the purchase of Shares as soon as is reasonably
          possible after the Trustee's receipt thereof.  Shares shall be
          purchased on the open market at a price not greater than the
          current market price per share on the New York Stock Exchange on
          the date of purchase."

17.  Section 6.5 is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

     "6.5 Equity Funds
          The Equity Funds shall consist of such capital, common and
          preferred stocks, bonds or other instruments convertible into
          such stocks, or other equity securities (including, without
          limitation, any common, collective or commingled trust fund
          established and maintained by the Trustee for the assets of
          plans qualified and exempt under Sections 401 and 501 of the
          Code, which is invested primarily in equity securities), as may
          be selected by the Trustee from time to time subject to consent
          thereto by the Company; cash derived from Contributions which
          are to be invested in such Equity Fund or Funds and from
          earnings on or sales of other assets in the respective Equity
          Fund or Funds; and such interim investments (including, without
          limitation, money market funds, certificates of deposit,
          bankers' acceptances and obligations of the United States
          Government) as may be selected by the Trustee from time to time.
          
                                 Page 23<PAGE>
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          All assets in the Equity Funds shall be held in the name of the
          Trustee, or a nominee."

18.  Section 6.6 is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

     "6.6 Fixed Income Fund
          The Fixed Income Fund shall consist of assets which are invested
          or held for investment intended to provide income on a fixed
          income basis, including, but not limited to, short-term and long
          -term governmental or corporate obligations, trust and
          participation certificates, mortgages and such interim
          investments (including, without limitation, money market funds,
          certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances and obligations of
          the United States Government) as may be selected by the Trustee
          from time to time.  The Trustee is also specifically authorized
          from time to time upon consent by the Company to invest all or
          part of the Fixed Income Fund in any common, collective or
          commingled trust fund established and maintained by the Trustee
          for the assets of plans qualified and exempt under Sections 401
          and 501 of the Code, which is invested primarily in fixed-income
          securities; and to purchase or hold one or more guaranteed
          investment contracts providing for the accumulation of
          contributions thereunder at rates of interest which may be
          changed from time to time.  All assets in the Fixed Income Fund
          shall be held in the name of the Trustee, a nominee or in bearer
          form."

19.  Section 6.7 is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

     "6.7 Money Market Fund
          The Money Market Fund shall consist of assets purchased or held
          for investment by the Trustee, which are invested or held by the
          Trustee, and which are intended to earn income based upon then
          prevailing money market interest rates.  Such assets may include,
          without limitation, short-term securities backed by the United
          States Government, governmental or corporate obligations,
          certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, commercial paper,
          repurchase agreements, and money market certificates.  The
          Trustee is also specifically authorized from time to time upon
          consent by the Company to invest all or part of the Money Market
          Fund in any common, collective or commingled trust fund
          established and maintained by the Trustee for the assets of plans
          qualified and exempt under Sections 401 and 501 of the Code,
          which is invested primarily in securities intended to earn income
          based upon then prevailing money market rates.  All assets in the
          Money Market Fund shall be held in the name of the Trustee, a
          nominee or in bearer form."

20.  Section 6.10 is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

     "6.10 Reports to Participants
           The Administrator shall furnish each Participant, at least
           quarterly, a statement of his Account, showing, at a minimum,
           the number of whole and fractional Shares credited thereto,
           whether there are other investments in the Account, and if so,
           identifying such investments (by Investment Fund or item), and
           the market value of the Account and of each separate portion
           thereof as of the end of such period."

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21.  Section 7.3(a) and (b) are hereby amended in their entirety to read as
     follows:

     "7.3 Special Limitation On Contributions For Any Participant For Any
               Plan Year
          The Additions made to a Participant's Account under Article V
          with respect to any Plan Year, which shall be the Limitation Year
          for the purpose of Code Section 415, shall not exceed the
          limitations described in this Section 7.3.  

          (a)  For purposes of this Section 7.3, "Additions" for any Plan
               Year means the total of Contributions allocated to a
               Participant's Account for such Plan Year, plus for Plan
               Years beginning after July 31, 1989, the Employee's after
               -tax contributions, if any, to the Participant's Account.  

          (b)  The amount of such Additions with respect to any Participant
               for any Plan Year shall not exceed the lesser of:

               (i)  Thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) (or such greater
                    amount allowed by the Secretary of Treasury for Cost of
                    Living increases after September 2, 1974), or

              (ii)  Twenty-five percent (25%) of the Participant's
                    Compensation for such Limitation Year, excluding for
                    this purpose for Plan Years beginning before 1998 any
                    wage amounts deferred by said Participant under this
                    Plan, as the same may be hereafter amended,
                    supplemented, or replaced.

                    In applying the foregoing limitation, the Administrator
                    shall take into account all defined contribution plans
                    of the Company."

22.  A new Section 7.8 is hereby added to read as follows:
   
     "7.8 Unit Valuations
          The Administrator may establish unit values for one or more
          Investment Funds, or portion thereof, and maintain each
          Participant's interest in such Investment Fund in units
          in accordance with such rules and procedures as the Administrator
          deems appropriate.  To the extent that unit accounting is
          utilized for any Investment Fund or portion thereof, the value of
          a Participant's interest in the Investment Fund at any time shall
          be an amount equal to the value of a unit of such Investment Fund
          multiplied by the number of units then credited to the
          Participant plus such portion of the Participant's interest in
          such Investment Fund which is not accounted for in units."

23.  Effective August 1, 1998, the second paragraph of Section 9.2(a) is
     hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

     "Upon cessation of employment, a Participant whose entire Account
     balance exceeds $5,000 may, notwithstanding the foregoing, elect
     (subject to the provisions of subsection (c) of this Section 9.2) to
     have his entire Account balance remain in the Fund and continue to be
     subject to, and invested in accordance with, the Plan provisions, for
     a period of not more than five (5) years following cessation of
     employment or to age sixty-five (65), if later.  If he elects the
   
                                 Page 25<PAGE>
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     above deferral, he may choose, upon thirty (30) days advance written
     notice, to have his entire Account balance distributed to him at any
     time during such elected deferral period."

24.  The final sentence of Section 9.2(b) is amended to read as follows:

     "Interests in the Equity Fund or Funds, the Fixed Income Fund and the
     Money Market Fund shall always be distributed in cash."

25.  The seventh complete sentence of Section 9.2(c)(ii) is amended to read
     as follows:

     "Minimum distributions shall be withdrawn from each Investment Fund or
     Funds in the same proportion as the balance of the Investment Funds
     bear to each other."

26.  Section 9.2(d) is amended in its entirety as follows:

     "(d)  Payment to an alternate payee pursuant to a Qualified Domestic
           Relations Order shall be made in one lump-sum payment, as soon
           as administratively feasible after the Administrator determines
           that the domestic relations order is a Qualified Domestic
           Relations Order (as defined in Section 414(p) of the Code), and
           after the Administrator has delivered notice of the distribution
           to the alternate payee (as described by Section 9.2(f) of the
           Plan), in an amount specified in such domestic relations order. 
           Payment to an alternate payee may be made before the time the
           Participant's vested account balance becomes payable to the
           Participant.

           To the extent the Qualified Domestic Relations Order requires
           payment of all or any portion of a Participant's account to an
           alternate payee on or after the Participant's earliest
           retirement age (as defined in Section 414(p) of the Code), such
           amount shall be segregated into a separate account for such
           alternate payee and shall be invested among the respective
           Investment Funds in the same ratio as the Participant's account
           immediately prior to such segregation, and, if directed
           investments are available, the alternate payee shall then be
           entitled to direct the investment of the segregated funds. 
           Payment shall then be made to the alternate payee at the time
           and in the form specified in the Qualified Domestic Relations
           Order."

27.  The final sentence of Section 9.2(e) is amended to read as follows:

     "Participant and/or spousal consent shall not be required if
     distribution is being made because the Participant's account balance
     is less than $5,000."

28.  Section 9.3(c)(iv) is hereby amended in its entirety to read as
     follows:

     "(iv)  If a Participant, who has one outstanding loan, applies for a
            hardship withdrawal and if the amount necessary to satisfy the
            Participant's financial hardship is not in excess of the
            additional loan amount allowable under Section 9.4, then the
            Participant shall borrow such additional amount by applying for
            a second loan from the Plan instead of taking a hardship
            withdrawal."
                                 Page 26<PAGE>
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29.  Section 9.3(c)(v) is hereby amended in its entirety to read as
     follows:

     "(v)  If a Participant has two outstanding loans and applies for a
           hardship withdrawal, such hardship withdrawal may be permitted
           up to the amount of the hardship and subject to the limitations
           of Section 9.3(a).  If a Participant has one outstanding loan
           and if the amount of the Participant's financial hardship
           exceeds the maximum loan amount allowable under Section 9.4,
           then a hardship withdrawal may be permitted up to the amount of
           hardship and subject to the limitations of Section 9.3(a)."

30.  Section 9.3(c)(vi) is amended in its entirety to read as follows:

     "(vi)  The withdrawal shall be made from each Investment Fund or Funds
            in the same proportion as the balance of the Investment Funds
            bear to each other."

31.  Section 9.3(c)(viii) is hereby amended in its entirety to read as
     follows:

     "(viii)  A Participant who receives a hardship distribution, as
              provided in this subsection (c), or who has an outstanding
              loan and receives an additional loan to relieve a hardship,
              as provided in subclause (iv) of this subsection (c), shall
              not be permitted to make wage deferrals pursuant to this Plan
              until the first payroll date of the calendar month following
              the expiration of a twelve (12) month period after receipt of
              either such hardship distribution or such new loan in lieu of
              the hardship distribution.  The Participant must give the
              Administrator at least ten (10) days advance notice to resume
              wage deferrals."

32.  Section 9.4(b) is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

     "(b)  The loan may be applied for over the telephone, shall be
           evidenced by a Promissory Note on a form available from the
           Administrator, shall bear interest at a rate comparable to the
           prevailing interest rate charged by commercial lenders for
           similar loans, shall be secured by the Participant's Account,
           and shall be repayable in installments, by payroll deductions,
           over a period not to exceed 234 weeks from the date of such
           loan, or not to exceed 494 weeks in the case of a loan for the
           purchase of the Participant's primary residence.  If the
           Participant is on unpaid leave, payments must be made monthly
           and must be received by the Payroll Department no later than the
           Wednesday preceding the first payday of the month for which the
           payment is being made.  The note shall be subject to repayment
           in whole or in part at any time without premium or penalty, with
           no less than one hundred percent (100%) of the outstanding
           balance to be repaid.  Notes shall become due and payable in
           full when the Participant ceases to be an Employee."

33.  Section 9.4(e) is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

     "(e)  An application for a loan may be received at any time, and an
           approved loan shall be disbursed as soon as administratively
           practicable thereafter.  A new loan cannot begin until after
           repayment in full of the prior loan.  The dollar amounts to be

                                 Page 27<PAGE>
<PAGE>           
           loaned shall be taken from the investment accounts in the same
           proportion as the Investment Fund balances bear to each other. 
           No Participant may borrow any sum hereunder so long as any
           previous loan to such Participant remains unpaid, except as
           provided under Section 9.3(c)."

34.  Section 9.4(g) is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

     "(g)  Once the Administrator has approved a loan application for a
           Participant and has determined the rate of interest such loan
           will bear, the Administrator will provide the Participant with
           the form of Promissory Note to evidence such loan and as a
           precondition to the disbursement of such loan, the Participant
           shall sign and date such Promissory Note and return it to the
           Administrator within thirty (30) days for disbursement within
           five (5) days thereafter.  A copy of such Note shall be retained
           by the Participant."

35.  Effective February 1, 1996, Section 9.4(h) is hereby amended in its
     entirety to read as follows:

     "(h)  For the purposes of this Section 9.4, the Plan Administrator is
           the Treasurer and Assistant Secretary.  The Administrator will
           impose no specific limitations on the type or amount of
           Participant loans, except as provided in Section 9.4(a) above."

36.  A new paragraph is hereby added at the end of Section 16.3(a) to read
     as follows:

     "The Administrator shall also have the authority and discretion to
     engage an Administrative Delegate who shall perform, without
     discretionary authority or control, administrative functions within
     the framework of policies, interpretations, rules, practices, and
     procedures made by the Administrator or other Plan fiduciary.  Any
     action made or taken by the Administrative Delegate may be appealed by
     an affected Participant to the Administrator in accordance with the
     claims review procedures provided in Section 13.6.  Any decisions
     which call for interpretations of Plan provisions not previously made
     by the Administrator shall be made only by the Administrator. 
     Administrative Delegate means one or more persons or institutions to
     whom the Administrator has delegated certain administrative functions
     pursuant to a written agreement."

37.  Section 16.5 is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

     "16.5 Valuation Of Shares
           The value of a fractional Share for purposes of Section 9.2(b)
           of this Plan shall be based on the value of a full Share at the
           closing price per Share on the New York Stock Exchange on the
           Valuation Date which is one day prior to distribution."


                              DOUGLAS H. YAEGER
                              _______________________________________
                              Title:  President and Chief
                                      Operating Officer


                                 Page 28<PAGE>
<PAGE>


                              GERALD T. MCNEIVE, JR.
                              _______________________________________
                              Title:  Senior Vice President - Finance
                                      and General Counsel



















































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