LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY
FOR SECTION 13 AND 16 REPORTING OBLIGATIONS

	Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby makes, constitutes and
appoints each of Alison E. Baur, Maria Gray, Steven J. Gray, Kimberly H.
Novotny, Karen L. Skidmore, Navid J. Tofigh and Lori A. Weber each acting
individually, as the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with full
power and authority as hereinafter described on behalf of and in the name, place
  and stead of the undersigned to:

	1. prepare, execute, acknowledge, deliver and file Forms ID, Schedules 13D and
13G, and Forms 3, 4 and 5 (including any amendments thereto and any related
documentation) with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any
  national securities exchanges relating to Franklin Resources, Inc. ("FRI")
and/or any registered closed-end company to which an affiliate of FRI is an
investment adviser (each, a "Reporting Entity"), as considered necessary or
advisable under Regulation S-T and Sections 13(d) and 16(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as
amended from time to time (the "Exchange Act"); and

	2. seek or obtain, as the undersigned's representative and on the undersigned's
  behalf, information on transactions in the securities of any Reporting Entity
from any person, including brokers, employee benefit plan administrators and
trustees, and the undersigned hereby authorizes any such person to release any
such information to the undersigned and approves and ratifies any such release
of information; and

	3. perform any and all other acts which in the discretion of such
attorney-in-fact are necessary or desirable for and on behalf of the undersigned
  in connection with the foregoing.

	The undersigned acknowledges that:

	1. this Limited Power of Attorney authorizes, but does not require, each such
attorney-in-fact to act in their discretion on information provided to such
attorney-in-fact without independent verification of such information;

	2. any documents prepared and/or executed by any such attorney-in-fact on
behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Limited Power of Attorney will be in
such form and will contain such information and disclosure as such
attorney-in-fact, in his or her discretion, deems necessary or desirable;

	3. none of FRI, any Reporting Entity nor any of such attorneys-in-fact assumes
(i) any liability for the undersigned's responsibility to comply with the
requirements of the Exchange Act, (ii) any liability of the undersigned for any
failure to comply with such requirements, or (iii) any obligation or liability
of the undersigned for profit disgorgement under Section 16(b) of the Exchange
Act; and

	4. this Limited Power of Attorney does not relieve the undersigned from
responsibility for compliance with the undersigned's obligations under the
Exchange Act, including without limitation, the reporting requirements under
Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

	The undersigned hereby gives and grants each of the foregoing attorneys-in-fact
  full power and authority to do and perform all and every act and thing
whatsoever requisite, necessary or appropriate to be done in and about the
foregoing matters as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might
or could do if present, hereby ratifying all that each such attorney-in-fact of,
  for and on behalf of the undersigned, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by
  virtue of this Limited Power of Attorney.

	This Limited Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until
revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to each such
attorney-in-fact.

	IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Limited Power of Attorney
to be executed as of this 26th day of April, 2017.


			/s/Matthew T. Hinkle
			Signature

			Matthew T. Hinkle
			Print Name