<TABLE>
Exhibit 12a

                      STATEMENT SETTING FORTH COMPUTATIONS OF RATIOS OF
                                 EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
                                   (Dollars in Thousands)
<CAPTION>
                                12 Months
                                   Ending                Year Ended December 31
                                     June  ------------------------------------------------
                                 30, 1998      1997      1996      1995      1994      1993
                                ---------  ------------------------------------------------
<S>                             <C>        <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>       
EARNINGS AVAILABLE FOR
 FIXED CHARGES
  Pre-tax income:
    Income from continuing
      operations per statement
      of income                  $145,195  $125,698  $167,351  $128,382  $ 79,312  $163,812
    Federal income taxes           99,592    47,725   107,747    91,519    74,816    93,702
    Federal income taxes charged
      to other income - net         1,791    11,876    (1,608)  (12,068)   22,687      (418)
    Capitalized interest             (242)     (360)     (600)     (660)     (400)     (791)
    Undistributed (earnings) or
      losses of less-than-
      fifty-percent-owned
      entities                        (15)     (608)      460     8,325       743        --
                                 --------  ------------------------------------------------
      Total                      $246,321  $184,331  $273,350  $215,498  $177,158  $256,305

  Fixed charges:
    Interest expense             $133,989  $123,439  $122,635  $131,346  $126,555  $120,962
    Other interest                    242       360       600       660       400       791
    Portion of rentals
      representative of the
      interest factor               3,191     3,143     4,187     5,150     5,555     5,570
                                 --------  ------------------------------------------------
      Total                      $137,422  $126,942  $127,422  $137,156  $132,510  $127,323

  Earnings available for
    combined fixed charges       $383,743  $311,273  $400,772  $352,654  $309,668  $383,628
                                 ========  ================================================
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO
  FIXED CHARGES                     2.79x     2.45x     3.15x     2.57x     2.34x     3.01x

</TABLE>

<TABLE>
Exhibit 12b

                     STATEMENT SETTING FORTH COMPUTATIONS OF RATIOS OF
             EARNINGS TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS
                                   (Dollars in Thousands)
<CAPTION>
                                12 Months
                                   Ending                Year Ended December 31
                                     June  ------------------------------------------------
                                 30, 1998      1997      1996      1995      1994      1993
                                ---------  ------------------------------------------------
<S>                             <C>        <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>        
EARNINGS AVAILABLE FOR COMBINED
 FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED
 DIVIDEND REQUIREMENTS

  Pretax income:
    Income from continuing
      operations per statement
      of income                  $145,195  $125,698  $167,351  $128,382  $ 79,312  $163,812
    Federal income taxes           99,592    47,725   107,747    91,519    74,816    93,702
    Federal income taxes charged
      to other income - net         1,791    11,876    (1,608)  (12,068)   22,687      (418)
                                 --------  ------------------------------------------------
      Subtotal                    246,578   185,299   273,490   207,833   176,815   257,096
  Capitalized interest               (242)     (360)     (600)     (660)     (400)     (791)
  Undistributed (earnings) or
    losses of less-than-fifty-
    percent-owned entities            (15)     (608)      460     8,325       743        --
                                 --------  ------------------------------------------------
      Total                      $246,321  $184,331  $273,350  $215,498  $177,158  $256,305

  Fixed charges:
    Interest expense             $133,989  $123,439  $122,635  $131,346  $126,555  $120,962
    Other interest                    242       360       600       660       400       791
    Portion of rentals
      representative of the
      interest factor               3,191     3,143     4,187     5,150     5,555     5,570
                                 --------  ------------------------------------------------
      Total                      $137,422  $126,942  $127,422  $137,156  $132,510  $127,323

Earnings available for
  combined fixed charges
  and preferred dividend
  requirements                   $383,743  $311,273  $400,772  $352,654  $309,668  $383,628
                                 ========  ================================================

DIVIDEND REQUIREMENT:
  Fixed charges above            $137,422  $126,942  $127,422  $137,156  $132,510  $127,323
  Preferred dividend
    requirements below             22,758    26,250    36,249    36,674    45,441    29,904
                                 --------  ------------------------------------------------
      Total                      $160,180  $153,192  $163,671  $173,830  $177,951  $157,227
                                 ========  ================================================
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
 
                                12 Months
                                   Ending                Year Ended December 31
                                     June  ------------------------------------------------
                                 30, 1998      1997      1996      1995      1994      1993
                                ---------  ------------------------------------------------
<S>                              <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO COMBINED
  FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED
  DIVIDEND REQUIREMENTS              2.40      2.03      2.45      2.03      1.74      2.44

COMPUTATION OF PREFERRED
  DIVIDEND REQUIREMENTS:
  (a) Pre-tax income             $246,578  $185,299  $273,490  $207,833  $176,815  $257,096
  (b) Income from continuing
        operations               $145,195  $125,698  $167,351  $128,382  $ 79,312  $163,812
  (c) Ratio of (a) to (b)          1.6983    1.4742    1.6342    1.6189    2.2294    1.5695
  (d) Preferred dividends        $ 13,401  $ 17,806  $ 22,181  $ 22,654  $ 20,383  $ 19,054
  Preferred dividend
    requirements
      [(d) multiplied by (c)]    $ 22,758  $ 26,250  $ 36,249  $ 36,674  $ 45,441  $ 29,904
                                 ========  ================================================

</TABLE>