EXHIBIT 12

          LEGGETT AND PLATT INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES
         COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
                 (Amounts in millions of dollars)


                                                        Year
                           Qtr.    Qtr.                Ended
                          Ended   Ended                12/31
                         3/31/00 3/31/99  1999  1998    1997    1996    1995
                                                   
Earnings
 Income from continuing
  operations before
  income tax            $117.3  $105.1  $462.6  $395.6  $333.3  $249.7  $220.6

 Interest expense
  (excluding amount
   capitalized)           14.6     9.4    43.0    38.5    31.8    30.0    30.4

 Portion of rental
  expense under
  operating leases
  representative
  of an interest factor    2.4     2.1     8.2     6.7     6.1     5.5     5.1
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total earnings          $134.3  $116.6  $513.8  $440.8  $371.2  $285.2  $256.1
==============================================================================

Fixed charges
 Interest expense
 (including amount
 capitalized)            $14.8    $9.7   $44.0   $39.2   $32.7   $31.0   $31.4

Portion of rental expense
 under operating leases
 representative
 of an interest factor     2.4     2.1    8.2      6.7     6.1     5.5     5.1
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total fixed charges      $17.2   $11.8  $52.2    $45.9   $38.8   $36.5   $36.5
==============================================================================

Ratio of earnings to
 fixed charges             7.8     9.9    9.8      9.6     9.6     7.8     7.0
==============================================================================


Earnings consist principally of income from continuing operations before
income taxes, plus fixed charges. Fixed charges consist principally
of interest costs.