|Exhibit 12b




STATEMENT SETTING FORTH
COMPUTATIONS OF RATIOS OFEARNINGS TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED STOCK
DIVIDENDS(Dollars in Thousands)
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

|                             | 12 MonthsEndingJune 30, | Year Ended December 31,
|---------------------------- | ----------------------- | -----------------------
|
|                            
|EARNINGS AVAILABLE FOR       |                         |                        
|COMBINED FIXED CHARGES AND   |                        
|PREFERRED DIVIDEND           |                        
|REQUIREMENTS                 |                        
|Pretax income:               |                        
|Income from continuing       |                        
|operations per statement     |                        
|of income                    |                         | $ 190,308              
|Federal income taxes         |                         | 112,564                
|Federal income taxes charged |                        
|to other income - net        |                         | 2,592                  
|                            
|Subtotal                     |                         | 305,464                
|Capitalized interest         |                         | (2,283                 
|Undistributed (earnings) or  |                        
|losses of less-than-fifty-   |                        
|percent-owned entities       |                         |                       
|                            
|Total                        |                         | $ 303,181              
|                            
|Fixed charges:               |                        
|Interest expense             |                         | $ 173,811              
|Other interest               |                         | 2,283                  
|Portion of rentals           |                        
|representative of the        |                        
|interest factor              |                         | 4,827                  
|                            
|Total                        |                         | $ 180,921              
|                            
|Earnings available for       |                        
|combined fixed charges       |                        
|and preferred dividend       |                        
|requirements                 |                         | $ 484,102              
|DIVIDEND REQUIREMENT:        |                        
|Fixed charges above          |                         | $ 180,921              
|Preferred dividend           |                        
|requirements below           |                         | 15,582                 
|                            
|Total                        |                         | $ 196,503              
|                            

---

|                           | 12 MonthsEndingJune 30, | Year Ended December 31,
|-------------------------- | ----------------------- | -----------------------
|
|                          
|RATIO OF EARNINGS TO       |                         |                        
|COMBINED FIXED CHARGES     |                        
|AND PREFERRED DIVIDEND     |                        
|REQUIREMENTS               |                         | 2.46                   
|                          
|COMPUTATION OF PREFERRED   |                        
|DIVIDEND REQUIREMENTS:     |                        
|(a) Pre-tax income         |                         | $305,464               
|(b) Income from continuing |                        
|operations                 |                         | $190,308               
|(c) Ratio of (a) to (b)    |                         | 1.6051                 
|(d) Preferred dividends    |                         | $    9,708             
|Preferred dividend         |                        
|requirements               |                        
|[(d) multiplied by (c)]    |                         | $  15,582