Exhibit 3(c)




               RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

                                OF

               AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, INC.

         Under Section 807 of the Business Corporation Law



               As filed with the Department of State
                     of the State of New York
                        on November 5, 1997


               RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
                                OF
               AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, INC.
         Under Section 807 of the Business Corporation Law


      The  undersigned,  being  respectively  the Vice  President  and Assistant
Secretary of American Electric Power Company, Inc., hereby certify that:

      I.  Name.  The name of the corporation is AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY,
 INC. The name under which the corporation was formed is American Gas and
Electric Company.

      II. Date of Filing of Certificate  of  Incorporation.  The  certificate of
consolidation  forming the  corporation  was filed by the Department of State on
February 18, 1925.

      III. Original Certificate Superseded. The certificate of incorporation, as
           amended  heretofore,  is hereby restated without further amendment or
           change to read as herein set forth in full:

      1. The name of the corporation  shall be AMERICAN  ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY,
INC.

      2. The purposes for which the corporation is formed are:

     (a) To acquire, hold and dispose of the stock, bonds, notes, debentures and
other  securities  and  obligations  (hereinafter  called  "securities")  of any
person, firm, association,  or corporation,  private, public or municipal, or of
any body politic, including, without limitation,  securities of electric and gas
utility  companies;  and while  the owner of such  securities,  to  possess  and
exercise in respect  thereof all the rights,  powers and privileges of ownership
thereof, including voting power;

     (b) To aid in any manner permitted by law any person, firm,  association or
corporation in whose  securities the corporation may be interested,  directly or
indirectly,  and  to do any  other  act  or  thing  permitted  by  law  for  the
preservation,  protection,  improvement  or  enhancement  of the  value  of such
securities  or the property  represented  thereby or securing the same or owned,
held or possessed by such person, firm, association or corporation;

     (c) To acquire,  construct,  own, maintain,  operate and dispose of real or
personal  property used or useful in the business of an electric utility company
or gas  utility  company  and such other  real or  personal  property  as may be
permitted by law; and

     (d) To do everything  necessary,  proper,  advisable or convenient  for the
accomplishment of the foregoing purposes,  and to do all other things incidental
to them  or  connected  with  them  that  are  not  forbidden  by law or by this
certificate of incorporation.

     3. The city and  county in which the  office  of the  corporation  is to be
located are the City and County of New York.

     4.1. The aggregate  number of shares which the corporation is authorized to
issue is 600,000,000 shares of Common Stock of the par value of $6.50 each.

     4.2. Each share of the Common Stock shall be equal in all respects to every
other  share of the Common  Stock.  Every  holder of record of the Common  Stock
shall have one vote for each share of Common  Stock held by him for the election
of  directors  and  upon  all  other  matters;  provided,  however,  that at all
elections of directors  by  stockholders  each holder of record of shares of the
Common Stock then entitled to vote,  shall be entitled to as many votes as shall
equal the number of votes which  (except  for this  provision  as to  cumulative
voting) he would be entitled to cast for the election of directors  with respect
to his  shares of Common  Stock  multiplied  by the  number of  directors  to be
elected, and such holder may cast all of such votes for a single director or may
distribute  them among the number of  directors  to be voted for,  or any two or
more or them, as he may see fit, which right,  when  exercised,  shall be termed
cumulative voting.

     4.3.  The  corporation  may,  at any time and from time to time,  issue and
dispose of any of the  authorized  and  unissued  shares of the Common Stock for
such  consideration  as may be fixed by the Board of  Directors,  subject to any
provisions  of  law  then  applicable,  and  subject  to the  provisions  of any
resolutions of the  stockholders  of the  corporation  relating to the issue and
disposition of such shares.

     4.4. Upon any issuance for money or other consideration of any stock of the
corporation, or of any securities convertible into any stock of the corporation,
of any class  whatsoever which may be authorized from time to time, no holder of
stock of any kind shall have any  preemptive  or other right to  subscribe  for,
purchase or receive any  proportionate or other share of the stock or securities
so issued,  but the Board of Directors may dispose of all or any portion of such
stock or  securities  as and  when it may  determine  free of any  such  rights,
whether by offering the same to stockholders or by sale or other  disposition as
the Board of Directors may deem advisable;  provided, however, that if the Board
of  Directors  shall  determine  to issue and sell any  shares  of Common  Stock
(including,  for the purposes of this paragraph,  any security  convertible into
Common Stock,  but excluding  shares of Common Stock and securities  convertible
into Common Stock  theretofore  reacquired by the corporation  after having been
duly issued,  and excluding  shares of Common Stock and  securities  convertible
into Common  Stock issued to satisfy  conversion  or option  rights  theretofore
granted by the corporation) solely for money and other than by:

     (i)  a public offering thereof, or

     (ii) an offering  thereof to or through  underwriters  or dealers who shall
agree promptly to make a public offering thereof, or

     (iii) any other  offering  thereof  which  shall  have been  authorized  or
approved by the affirmative  vote, cast in person or by proxy, of the holders of
record of a majority of the outstanding  shares of Common Stock entitled to vote
at the stockholders'  meeting at which action shall have been taken with respect
to such other offering,

such shares of Common  Stock  shall  first be offered pro rata,  except that the
corporation shall not be obligated to offer or to issue any fractional  interest
in a full  share  of  Common  Stock,  to  the  holders  of  record  of the  then
outstanding shares of Common Stock (excluding outstanding shares of Common Stock
held for the  benefit  of  holders of scrip  certificates  or other  instruments
representing  fractional  interests in a full share of Common  Stock) upon terms
which,  in the judgment of the Board of Directors of the  corporation,  shall be
not less favorable  (without  deduction of such reasonable  compensation for the
sale,  underwriting or purchase of such shares by underwriters or dealers as may
lawfully be paid by the  corporation) to the purchaser than the terms upon which
such  shares  are  offered to others  than such  holders  of Common  Stock;  and
provided  that the time within which such  preemptive  rights shall be exercised
may be limited to such time as to the Board of Directors  may seem  proper,  not
less,  however,  than  fourteen  (14) days after the mailing of notice that such
preemptive rights are available and may be exercised.

     5.  Directors  shall hold office after the  expiration of their terms until
their  successors  are  elected  and  have  qualified.  Directors  need  not  be
stockholders.

     6. To the fullest extent permitted by the New York Business Corporation Law
as it exists on the date hereof or as it may  hereafter be amended,  no director
of the corporation  shall be liable to the corporation or its  stockholders  for
damages for any breach of duty as a director.  Any repeal or modification of the
foregoing  sentence by the  stockholders of the corporation  shall not adversely
affect any right or protection of a director of the corporation  existing at the
time of such repeal or modification.

     7.1.(A)  In  addition  to any  affirmative  vote  required  by law or  this
certificate  of  incorporation  (any  other  provision  of this  certificate  of
incorporation  notwithstanding),  and except as otherwise  expressly provided in
paragraph 7.2:

     (1) any merger or  consolidation  of the  corporation or any Subsidiary (as
hereinafter  defined)  with  (i)  any  Interested  Stockholder  (as  hereinafter
defined)  or (ii) any other  corporation  (whether  or not itself an  Interested
Stockholder)  which  is, or after  such  merger  or  consolidation  would be, an
Affiliate (as hereinafter defined) of an Interested Stockholder; or

     (2) any sale, lease, license, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other
disposition  (in one  transaction  or a series of  transactions)  to or with any
Interested  Stockholder  or any Affiliate of any  Interested  Stockholder of any
assets of the  corporation  or any  Subsidiary  having an aggregate  Fair Market
Value (as hereinafter defined) of $100,000,000 or more; or

     (3) the issuance or transfer by the  corporation  or any Subsidiary (in one
transaction or a series of transactions) of any securities of the corporation or
any Subsidiary to any Interested  Stockholder or any Affiliate of any Interested
Stockholder having an aggregate Fair Market Value of $100,000,000 or more, other
than the issuance of securities upon the conversion of convertible securities of
the  corporation  or any Subsidiary  which were not acquired by such  Interested
Stockholder (or such Affiliate) from the corporation or a Subsidiary; or

     (4) the adoption of any plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution
of the corporation proposed by or on behalf of any Interested Stockholder or any
Affiliate of any Interested Stockholder; or

     (5) any reclassification of securities (including any reverse stock split),
or  recapitalization  or  reorganization  of the  corporation,  or any merger or
consolidation  of the  corporation  with  any of its  Subsidiaries,  or any self
tender  offer  for  or  repurchase  of  securities  of  the  corporation  by the
corporation or any Subsidiary or any other  transaction  (whether of not with or
into or otherwise  involving any Interested  Stockholder)  which has the effect,
directly or indirectly, of increasing the proportionate share of the outstanding
shares  of any  class or series  of  equity  or  convertible  securities  of the
corporation  or any  Subsidiary  which is  directly or  indirectly  owned by any
Interested Stockholder or any Affiliate of any Interested Stockholder;

shall require the affirmative  vote of the holders of at least (i)  seventy-five
per centum of the  combined  voting  power of the then  issued  and  outstanding
capital stock of all classes and series of the corporation  having voting powers
(the "Voting Stock"),  voting together as a single class, and (ii) a majority of
the  combined  voting  power of the then  issued and  outstanding  Voting  Stock
beneficially  owned by persons other than such  Interested  Stockholder,  voting
together as a single class,  given at any annual meeting of  stockholders  or at
any special  meeting  called for that purpose.  Such  affirmative  vote shall be
required notwithstanding the fact that no vote may be required, or that a lesser
percentage may be specified,  by law, by any other provision of this certificate
of  incorporation or in any agreement with any national  securities  exchange or
otherwise.

               (B) The term "Business Combination" as used herein shall mean any
transaction  which is  referred to in any one or more of clauses (1) through (5)
of sub-paragraph (A) of this paragraph 7.1.

      7.2.  The  provisions  of  paragraph  7.1 shall not be  applicable  to any
particular  Business  Combination,  and such Business  Combination shall require
only such  affirmative  vote, if any, as is required by law, any other provision
of this  certificate  of  incorporation,  and any  agreement  with any  national
securities  exchange,  if all of  the  conditions  specified  in  either  of the
following sub-paragraphs (A) or (B) are met:

               (A) The  Business  Combination  shall  have  been  approved  by a
majority of the Disinterested Directors (as hereinafter defined).

               (B) All of the following conditions shall have been met:

                    (1) The  aggregate  amount  of the cash and the Fair  Market
Value  as of the  date of the  consummation  of the  Business  Combination  (the
"Consummation  Date") of consideration  other than cash to be received per share
by holders of Common Stock in such Business  Combination shall be at least equal
to the highest of the following (it being intended that the requirements of this
clause  (1)  shall  be  required  to be met  with  respect  to  every  share  of
outstanding  Common  Stock,  whether  or  not  the  Interested  Stockholder  has
previously acquired any shares of Common Stock):

     (i) (if  applicable)  the highest per share price  (including any brokerage
commissions, transfer taxes and soliciting dealers' fees) paid by the Interested
Stockholder  for any  shares of  Common  Stock  acquired  by it (x)  within  the
five-year period immediately prior to the first public announcement of the terms
of the proposed  Business  Combination (the  "Announcement  Date") or (y) in the
transaction in which it became an Interested Stockholder, whichever is higher;

     (ii) the Fair Market  Value per share of Common  Stock on the  Announcement
Date or on the date on which the  Interested  Stockholder  became an  Interested
Stockholder  (such  latter  date is  referred  to herein  as the  "Determination
Date"), whichever is higher; and

     (iii) an amount which bears the same or greater percentage  relationship to
the Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock on the Announcement  Date as the
highest per share price  determined in clause  (B)(1)(i) above bears to the Fair
Market  Value per share of Common Stock on the date of the  commencement  of the
acquisition of the Common Stock by such Interested Stockholder

                   (2) The aggregate amount of cash and the Fair Market Value as
     of the Consummation Date Of consideration other than cash to be
received  per  share by  holders  of  shares  of any  other  class or  series of
outstanding Voting Stock shall be at least equal to the highest of the following
(it being intended that the requirements of this clause (2) shall be required to
be met with  respect  to every  class or series  of  outstanding  Voting  Stock,
whether or not the Interested  Stockholder has previously acquired any shares of
a particular class or series of Voting Stock):

                         (i)  (if   applicable)  the  highest  per  share  price
     (including any brokerage commissions, transfer taxes and soliciting
dealers' fees) paid by the Interested  Stockholder  for any shares of such class
or series  of Voting  Stock  acquired  by it (x)  within  the  five-year  period
immediately prior to the Announcement Date or (y) in the transaction in which it
became an Interested Stockholder, whichever is higher;

                        (ii) the Fair Market Value per share of such class or
series of Voting Stock on the Announcement Date or on the Determination Date,
whichever is higher;

                        (iii) (if  applicable) the highest  preferential  amount
     per share to which the holders of shares of such class or series of Voting
Stock are entitled in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of
the corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary; and

                         (iv)  an  amount   which  bears  the  same  or  greater
     percentage relationship to the Fair Market Value per share of such class or
series of Voting Stock on the  Announcement  Date as the highest per share price
determined in clause (B)(2)(i) above bears to the Fair Market Value per share of
such Voting Stock on the date of the  commencement  of the  acquisition  of such
Voting Stock by such Interested Stockholder.

                   (3)  The  consideration  to  be  received  by  holders  of  a
particular class or series of outstanding  Voting Stock (including Common Stock)
shall  be in  cash  or in the  same  form  as  the  Interested  Stockholder  has
previously  paid for  shares of such  class or series  of Voting  Stock.  If the
Interested  Stockholder  has paid for  shares  of any  class or series of Voting
Stock with  varying  forms of  consideration,  the form of  consideration  to be
received by each holder of such class or series of Voting Stock shall be, at the
option  of  such  holder,  either  cash  or the  form  used  by  the  Interested
Stockholder  to acquire the largest  number of shares of such class or series of
Voting Stock previously acquired by it prior to the Announcement Date. The price
determined  in  accordance  with clauses (1) and (2) of this  sub-paragraph  (B)
shall be subject to appropriate  adjustment in the event of any stock  dividend,
stock split, combination of shares or similar event.

                  (4) After the Determination Date and prior to the Consummation
Date:

                     (i) except as approved  by a majority of the  Disinterested
     Directors, there shall have been no failure to declare and
pay at the regular dates  therefor the full amount of any dividends  (whether or
not  cumulative)  payable  on any class or  series  of stock of the  corporation
having a preference  over the Common Stock as to dividends or upon  liquidation;
and
                    (ii) there shall have been (x) no reduction in the quarterly
     rate of dividends paid on the Common Stock (except as necessary
to  reflect  any  subdivision  of the Common  Stock),  except as  approved  by a
majority of the Disinterested  Directors,  and (y) an increase in such quarterly
rate of  dividends  paid on such  Common  Stock  as  necessary  to  reflect  any
reclassification   (including   any  reverse  stock  split),   recapitalization,
reorganization,  self  tender  offer  for or  repurchase  of  securities  of the
corporation  by the  corporation  or any  Subsidiary or any similar  transaction
which has the effect of reducing the number of outstanding  shares of the Common
Stock,  unless the failure so to increase such  quarterly  rate is approved by a
majority of the Disinterested Directors; and

                   (iii) such Interested  Stockholder  shall not have become the
     beneficial owner of any additional shares of Voting Stock except as part of
the  transaction  which  results  in such  Interested  Stockholder  becoming  an
Interested  Stockholder or upon conversion of convertible securities acquired by
it prior to  becoming  an  Interested  Stockholder  or as a result of a pro rata
stock dividend or stock split; and

                   (iv) such Interested  Stockholder shall not have received the
     benefit, directly or indirectly (except proportionately as a
stockholder),  of any loans,  advances,  guarantees,  pledges or other financial
assistance or tax credits or other tax advantages provided by the corporation or
any  Subsidiary,  whether in anticipation of or in connection with such Business
Combination or otherwise; and

                    (v) such  Interested  Stockholder  shall not have caused any
     material change in the corporation's business or capital structure,
including,  without  limitation,  the issuance of shares of capital stock of the
corporation to any third party.

               (5) A proxy or  information  statement  describing  the  proposed
Business  Combination  and complying  with the  requirements  of the  Securities
Exchange  Act of 1934,  as amended (the  "Act"),  and the rules and  regulations
thereunder  (or  any  subsequent   provisions   replacing  the  Act,  rules  and
regulations),  shall  be  mailed  by  and  at  the  expense  of  the  Interested
Stockholder to public  stockholders of the corporation at least 30 days prior to
the  Consummation  Date (whether or not such proxy or  information  statement is
required to be mailed  pursuant to the Act). The proxy or information  statement
shall contain at the front thereof in a prominent  place (i) any  recommendation
as to the advisability (or  inadvisability) of the Business  Combination which a
majority  of the  Disinterested  Directors  may  choose to state,  and (ii) if a
majority of the Disinterested  Directors so requests, the opinion of a reputable
national  investment  banking firm as to the fairness (or not) of such  Business
Combination from the point of view of the remaining  public  stockholders of the
corporation (such investment  banking firm to be engaged solely on behalf of the
remaining public stockholders, to be paid a reasonable fee for their services by
the  corporation  upon receipt of such  opinion,  to be  unaffiliated  with such
Interested  Stockholder,  and, to be selected by a majority of the Disinterested
Directors).

                (6) The holders of all  outstanding  shares of Voting  Stock not
beneficially  owned by the Interested  Stockholder  prior to the consummation of
any  Business  Combination  shall  be  entitled  to  receive  in  such  Business
Combination cash or other consideration for their shares of such Voting Stock in
compliance with clauses (1), (2) and (3) of sub-paragraph  (B) of this paragraph
7.2 (provided,  however, that the failure of any such holders who are exercising
their  statutory  rights to dissent from such Business  Combination  and receive
payment  of the fair  value of their  shares to  exchange  their  shares in such
Business  Combination  shall not be deemed to have  prevented  the condition set
forth in this clause (6) from being satisfied).

           7.3.  The  following  terms  shall be  deemed  to have  the  meanings
specified below:

                 (A)  The  term  "person"  shall  mean  any  individual,   firm,
corporation,  group (as such term is used in  Regulation  13D-G of the rules and
regulations under the Act, as in effect on January 1, 1988) or other entity.

                 (B) The term  "Interested  Stockholder"  shall  mean any person
(other than the  corporation,  any  Subsidiary or any pension,  profit  sharing,
employee stock  ownership,  employee  savings or other employee benefit plan, or
any dividend  reinvestment  plan, of the  corporation  or any  Subsidiary or any
trustee of or fiduciary  with respect to any such plan acting in such  capacity)
who or which:
                     (1)  is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of
more than five per centum of the combined voting power of the then outstanding
Voting Stock; or

                     (2)  is an Affiliate of the corporation and at any  time
within the five-year  period  immediately  prior to the date in question was the
beneficial  owner,  directly or indirectly,  of more than five per centum of the
combined voting power of the then outstanding Voting Stock; or

                     (3) is an assignee of or has otherwise succeeded  to any
shares of Voting  Stock  which  were at any time  within  the  five-year  period
immediately  prior to the date in question  beneficially  owned by an Interested
Stockholder,  if such assignment or succession shall have occurred in the course
of a  transaction  or series of  transactions  not  involving a public  offering
within the meaning of the  Securities Act of 1933, as amended (or any subsequent
provisions replacing such).

                 (C) A person shall be deemed a "beneficial owner" of any Voting
Stock:

                       (1) which such person or any of its
Affiliates or Associates (as hereinafter defined) beneficially owns, directly or
 indirectly; or

                       (2) which such person or any of its
Affiliates  or  Associates  has (i) the right to acquire  (whether such right is
exercisable  immediately  or only after the  passage of time),  pursuant  to any
agreement,  arrangement  or  understanding  or upon the  exercise of  conversion
rights, exchange rights, warrants or options, or otherwise, or (ii) the right to
 vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; or

                    (3) which is beneficially owned, directly
or  indirectly,  by any  other  person  with  which  such  person  or any of its
Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the
purpose  of  acquiring,  holding,  voting or  disposing  of any shares of Voting
Stock.

                 (D) For the  purpose  of  determining  whether  a person  is an
Interested  Stockholder pursuant to sub-paragraph (B) of this paragraph 7.3, the
number of shares of Voting Stock deemed to be  outstanding  shall include shares
deemed owned through application of sub-paragraph (C) of this paragraph 7.3, but
shall not  include  any  other  shares of  Voting  Stock  which may be  issuable
pursuant to any  agreement,  arrangement or  understanding,  or upon exercise of
conversion rights, exchange rights, warrants or options, or otherwise.

                 (E) The term "Affiliate" of, or a person  "affiliated"  with, a
 specified person shall mean a person that directly, or indirectly
through one or more intermediaries,  controls,  or is controlled by, or is under
common control with, the person specified.

                 (F) The term  "Associate"  as used to  indicate a  relationship
with any person shall mean (1) any corporation or  organization  (other than the
corporation  or a  Subsidiary)  of which such person is an officer or partner or
is,  directly or indirectly,  the beneficial  owner of ten per centum or more of
any class or series of equity securities, (2) any trust or other estate in which
such  person has a  substantial  beneficial  interest or as to which such person
serves as trustee or in a similar  fiduciary  capacity,  and (3) any relative or
spouse of such person, or any relative of such spouse,  who has the same home as
such person.

                  (G) The term "Subsidiary"  shall mean any corporation of which
a  majority  of any class or series of equity  security  is owned,  directly  or
indirectly,  by the corporation or by a Subsidiary or by the corporation and one
or more Subsidiaries; provided, however, that for the purposes of the definition
of Interested  Stockholder set forth in sub-paragraph (B) of this paragraph 7.3,
the term "Subsidiary"  shall mean only a corporation of which a majority of each
class or series of equity  security  is owned,  directly or  indirectly,  by the
corporation.

                   (H) The term "Fair Market Value" shall mean:  (1) in the case
of stock,  the highest  closing sale price during the 30-day period  immediately
preceding  the date in question of a share of such stock on the  Composite  Tape
for New York Stock  Exchange-Listed  Stocks,  or, if such stock is not quoted on
the  Composite  Tape,  on the New York Stock  Exchange,  or if such stock is not
listed on such  Exchange,  on the principal  United States  securities  exchange
registered  under the Act on which such stock is listed or, if such stock is not
listed on any such exchange, the highest closing bid quotation with respect to a
share of such stock during the 30-day  period  preceding the date in question on
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotations System
or any similar system then in use, or if no such  quotations are available,  the
fair market value on the date in question of a share of such stock as determined
by a majority of the  Disinterested  Directors in good faith,  in each case with
respect to any class or series of such  stock,  appropriately  adjusted  for any
dividend  or  distribution  in  shares  of  such  stock  or any  subdivision  or
reclassification  of  outstanding  shares of such stock into a greater number of
shares of such  stock or any  combination  or  reclassification  of  outstanding
shares of such stock into a smaller  number of shares of such stock;  and (2) in
the case of property  other than cash or stock,  the fair  market  value of such
property  on  the  date  in  question  as   determined  by  a  majority  of  the
Disinterested Directors in good faith.

                   (I) In the  event  of any  Business  Combination  in whic the
 corporation is the survivor, the phrase "consideration other than cash to
be  received" as used in clauses (1) and (2) of  sub-paragraph  (B) of paragraph
7.2 shall  include  the  shares of Common  Stock  and/or the shares of any other
class or series of  outstanding  Voting  Stock  retained  by the holders of such
shares.

                   (J) The term  "Disinterested  Director" shall mean any member
of the Board of Directors of the corporation who is unaffiliated with, and not a
nominee  of,  the  Interested  Stockholder  and who was a member of the Board of
Directors prior to the Determination  Date, and any successor of a Disinterested
Director  who is  unaffiliated  with,  and  not a  nominee  of,  the  Interested
Stockholder and is recommended to succeed a Disinterested Director by a majority
of the total number of Disinterested Directors then on the Board of Directors.

                    (K)  References  to "highest  per share price" shall in each
case  with  respect  to any  class or series  of stock  reflect  an  appropriate
adjustment  for any  dividend  or  distribution  in shares of such  stock or any
subdivision  or  reclassification  of  outstanding  shares of such  stock into a
greater number of shares of such stock or any combination or reclassification of
 outstanding shares of such stock into a smaller number of shares of such stock.

           7.4. A majority of the Board of  Directors of the  corporation  shall
have the power and duty to  determine  for the purpose of these  paragraphs  7.1
through 7.6, on the basis of information known to them after reasonable inquiry,
whether a person is an Interested  Stockholder.  Once the Board of Directors has
made a determination,  pursuant to the preceding  sentence,  that a person is an
Interested  Stockholder,  a majority  of the total  number of  directors  of the
corporation  who would qualify as  Disinterested  Directors shall have the power
and duty to interpret all of the terms and  provisions of these  paragraphs  7.1
through 7.6, and to  determine on the basis of  information  known to them after
reasonable  inquiry  all facts  necessary  to  ascertain  compliance  therewith,
including,  without  limitation,  (A) the  number  of  shares  of  Voting  Stock
beneficially  owned by any  person,  (B)  whether  a person is an  Affiliate  or
Associate  of  another,  (C)  whether  the assets  which are the  subject of any
Business  Combination have, or the consideration to be received for the issuance
or transfer of securities by the  corporation  or any Subsidiary in any Business
Combination  has, an aggregate Fair Market Value of $100,000,000 or more and (D)
whether  all of the  applicable  conditions  set forth in  sub-paragraph  (B) of
paragraph  7.2 have  been met with  respect  to any  Business  Combination.  Any
determination pursuant to this paragraph 7.4 made in good faith shall be binding
and conclusive on all parties.

           7.5.  Nothing  contained in these paragraphs 7.1 through 7.6 shall be
construed to relieve any Interested  Stockholder  from any fiduciary  obligation
imposed by law.

           7.6.  Notwithstanding  any other  provisions of this  certificate  of
incorporation or the by-laws of the corporation (and notwithstanding the
fact that a lesser percentage may be specified by law, this certificate of
incorporation or the by-laws of the corporation), the affirmative vote of
the holders of at least (A) seventy-five per centum of the combined voting
power of the then issued and outstanding Voting Stock, voting together as
a single class, and (B) a majority of the combined voting power of the
then issued and outstanding Voting Stock beneficially owned by persons
other than an Interested Stockholder, voting together as a single class,
given at any annual meeting of stockholders or at any special meeting
called for that purpose, shall be required to amend, alter, change or
repeal, or adopt any provisions inconsistent with, these paragraphs 7.1
through 7.6; provided, however, that the foregoing provisions of this
paragraph 7.6 shall not apply to, and such vote shall not be required for,
any such amendment, alteration, change, repeal or adoption approved by a
majority of the disinterested Directors, and any such amendment,
alteration, change, repeal or adoption so approved shall require only such
vote, if any, as is required by law, any other provision of this
certificate of incorporation or the by-laws of the corporation.

           8.  The  Secretary  of  State  of the  State  of New  York is  hereby
designated as the agent of the  corporation  upon whom any process in any action
or  proceeding  against it may be served.  The address to which the Secretary of
State shall mail a copy of any process against the  corporation  served upon him
is: c/o CT Corporation System, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

           9. The name of the  registered  agent upon whom and the address of th
 registered agent at which process against the corporation may be served is:
c/o CT Corporation System, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY  10019.

      IV.  Manner of Authorization.  The foregoing restatement of the
certificate of incorporation was authorized by the unanimous affirmative vote of
 the Board of Directors of the  corporation  at its meeting duly called and held
on the 29th day of October, 1997, a quorum being present.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have signed this certificate this 29th
day of October,  1997, and do affirm the contents to be true under the penalties
of perjury.

                                      /S/   G. P. MALONEY
                                    G. P. Maloney, Vice President


                                      /S/   JOHN F. DI LORENZO, JR.
                                    John F. Di Lorenzo, Jr., Assistant Secretary