<TABLE>

                STATEMENT SETTING FORTH COMPUTATIONS OF RATIOS OF
                            EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
                             (Dollars in Thousands)
<CAPTION>
                                                12 Months
                                                   Ending                      Year Ended December 31,
                                            June 30, 1999         1998         1997         1996         1995         1994
-------------------------------------- ------------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
<S>                                    <C>                 <C>          <C>          <C>          <C>           <C>
EARNINGS AVAILABLE FOR
 FIXED CHARGES
  Pre-tax income:
    Income from continuing
      operations per statement
      of income                                  $184,888     $169,612     $125,698     $167,351     $128,382     $ 79,312
    Federal income taxes                          115,528      107,904       47,725      107,747       91,519       74,816
    Federal income taxes charged
      to other income - net                         9,218        1,807       11,876       (1,608)     (12,068)      22,687
    Capitalized interest                           (3,958)      (1,782)        (360)        (600)        (660)        (400)
    Undistributed (earnings) or
      losses of less-than-
      fifty-percent-owned
      entities                                         --           --         (608)         460        8,325          743
-------------------------------------- ------------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Total                                            $305,676     $277,541     $184,331     $273,350     $215,498     $177,158
-------------------------------------- ------------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------

  Fixed charges:
    Interest expense                             $152,299     $146,140     $123,439     $122,635     $131,346     $126,555
    Other interest                                  3,958        1,782          360          600          660          400
    Portion of rentals
      representative of the
      interest factor                               3,626        2,878        3,143        4,187        5,150        5,555
-------------------------------------- ------------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Total                                            $159,883     $150,800     $126,942     $127,422     $137,156     $132,510
-------------------------------------- ------------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------

  Earnings available for
    combined fixed charges                       $465,559     $428,341     $311,273     $400,772     $352,654     $309,668
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO
  FIXED CHARGES                                     2.91x        2.84x        2.45x        3.15x        2.57x        2.34x

</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<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, 1999         1998        1997         1996         1995         1994
-------------------------------------- ---------------------- ------------ ----------- ------------ ------------ ------------
<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                                     $184,888     $169,612    $125,698     $167,351     $128,382     $ 79,312
    Federal income taxes                             115,528      107,904      47,725      107,747       91,519       74,816
    Federal income taxes charged
      to other income - net                            9,218        1,807      11,876       (1,608)     (12,068)      22,687
Subtotal                                             309,634      279,323     185,299      273,490      207,833      176,815
  Capitalized interest                                (3,958)      (1,782)       (360)        (600)        (660)        (400)
  Undistributed (earnings) or
    losses of less-than-fifty-
    percent-owned entities                                --           --        (608)         460        8,325          743
-------------------------------------- ---------------------- ------------ ----------- ------------ ------------ ------------
Total                                               $305,676     $277,541    $184,331     $273,350     $215,498     $177,158
-------------------------------------- ---------------------- ------------ ----------- ------------ ------------ ------------

  Fixed charges:
    Interest expense                                $152,299     $146,140    $123,439     $122,635     $131,346     $126,555
    Other interest                                     3,958        1,782         360          600          660          400
    Portion of rentals
      representative of the
      interest factor                                  3,626        2,878       3,143        4,187        5,150        5,555
-------------------------------------- ---------------------- ------------ ----------- ------------ ------------ ------------
Total                                               $159,883     $150,800    $126,942     $127,422     $137,156     $132,510
-------------------------------------- ---------------------- ------------ ----------- ------------ ------------ ------------

Earnings available for
  combined fixed charges
  and preferred dividend
  requirements                                      $465,559     $428,341    $311,273     $400,772     $352,654     $309,668

DIVIDEND REQUIREMENT:
  Fixed charges above                               $159,883     $150,800    $126,942     $127,422     $137,156     $132,510
  Preferred dividend
    requirements below                                20,654       21,414      26,250       36,249       36,674       45,441
-------------------------------------- ---------------------- ------------ ----------- ------------ ------------ ------------
Total                                               $180,537     $172,214    $153,192     $163,671     $173,830     $177,951
-------------------------------------- ---------------------- ------------ ----------- ------------ ------------ ------------
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                              12 Months
                                                 Ending                      Year Ended December 31,
                                          June 30, 1999        1998         1997         1996         1995         1994
----------------------------------- -------------------- ----------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
<S>                                 <C>                  <C>         <C>          <C>          <C>          <C>
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO COMBINED
  FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED
  DIVIDEND REQUIREMENTS                            2.58        2.49         2.03         2.45         2.03         1.74

COMPUTATION OF PREFERRED
  DIVIDEND REQUIREMENTS:
  (a) Pre-tax income                           $309,634    $279,323     $185,299     $273,490     $207,833     $176,815
  (b) Income from continuing
        operations                             $184,888    $169,612     $125,698     $167,351     $128,382     $ 79,312
  (c) Ratio of (a) to (b)                        1.6747      1.6468       1.4742       1.6342       1.6189       2.2294
  (d) Preferred dividends                      $ 12,333    $ 13,003     $ 17,806     $ 22,181     $ 22,654     $ 20,383
  Preferred dividend
    requirements
      [(d) multiplied by (c)]                  $ 20,654    $ 21,414     $ 26,250     $ 36,249     $ 36,674     $ 45,441

</TABLE>