Exhibit 24.1


                                 CERTIFICATION

     I, J. Kenneth Croney, Secretary of Alco Standard Corporation do hereby 
certify that the following resolutions were duly passed by the Board of 
Directors of the Corporation on November 10, 1995, and that such resolutions 
are, as of the date hereof, in full force and effect:

           RESOLVED, that each of the officers and directors of the corporation
     is hereby authorized to appoint Hugh G. Moulton, J. Kenneth Croney and
     Michael J. Dillon as his or her attorneys-in-fact on behalf of each of them
     each attorney-in-fact with the power of substitution, to execute on such
     officer's or director's behalf, one or more registration statements and
     annual reports of the corporation for filing with the Securities and
     Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and any and all amendments to said documents
     which said attorney may deem necessary or desirable to enable the
     corporation to register the offering of (i) serial preferred stock; (ii)
     common stock; (iii) debt securities; and/or (iv) participation interest in
     employee benefit plans under the Federal securities law, and to further
     enable the corporation to file such reports as are necessary under Section
     13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and such other documents
     as are necessary to comply with all rules, regulations or requirements of
     the SEC in respect thereto; and

           FURTHER RESOLVED, that any officer of the corporation is hereby
     authorized to do and perform, or cause to be done or performed, any and all
     things and to execute and deliver any and all agreements, certificates,
     undertakings, documents or instruments necessary or appropriate in order to
     carry out the purpose and intent of the foregoing resolutions.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of November, 
1995.

                    
                                      /s/ J. KENNETH CRONEY
                                   ---------------------------------
                                         (J. Kenneth Croney)