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                                                                EXHIBIT 24.01(d)


                               POWER OF ATTORNEY


     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS that Richard W. Haskel, a Director of
GENERAL HOST CORPORATION, a New York corporation ("the Corporation"), hereby
constitutes and appoints Harris J. Ashton, J. Theodore Everingham and James R.
Simpson, and each of them (with full power to each of them to act alone), his
true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, for him and on his behalf and in
his name place and stead, to sign, execute and affix his name thereto and file
the Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January
26, 1997, with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any other appropriate
authority, granting unto such persons and each of them, full power and
authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done in and about the premises in order to effectuate the same
as fully to all intents and purposes as he himself might or could do if
personally present, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such
attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, may lawfully do or cause to be
done by virtue hereof.
     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has signed this Power of Attorney on
March 19, 1997.



                                                          /s/ Richard W. Haskel
                                                          ---------------------
                                                          Richard W. Haskel