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                       SECURITIES  &  EXCHANGE COMMISSION                       
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549                             
                                  SCHEDULE 13G                                  
                   UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934                    
                             (AMENDMENT NO.     1)*                             
 NAME OF ISSUER:  WESTERN RESOURCES, INC.                                       
 TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES:  WESTERN RESOURCES, INC.                         
                                                                                
    UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, THE SECURITY BEING REPORTED IS A                    
    COMMON STOCK                                                                
 CUSIP NO.  959425 10 9                                                         
 FEE BEING PAID:  NO                                                            
  (1) NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS:  J.P. MORGAN & CO. INCORPORATED               
      S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS:  13-2625764          
  (2) CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP:  (A)                    
                                                         (B)                    
  (3) SEC USE ONLY                                                              
  (4) CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION:  UNITED STATES                      
      NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH:        
           (5) SOLE POWER TO VOTE:                138,000   SHARES              
           (6) SHARED POWER TO VOTE:               13,242   SHARES              
           (7) SOLE POWER TO DISPOSE:             262,000   SHARES              
           (8) SHARED POWER TO DISPOSE:               900   SHARES              
  (9) AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON:             
                                                   278,242   SHARES             
  (10) CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES:        
  (11) PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9):    0.4 %              
  (12) TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON:  HC                                            
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION                       
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549                             
                                  SCHEDULE 13G                                  
                   UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934                    
AMENDMENT NO:        1                                 DATE  DECEMBER 31,1996   
FEE BEING PAID:  NO                                                             
ITEM 1  (A) NAME OF ISSUER:  WESTERN RESOURCES, INC.                            
ITEM 1  (B) ADDRESS OF ISSUER'S PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES:                    
                              818 KANSAS AVENUE                                 
                              TOPEKA, KANSAS  66612                             
                                                                                
                                                                                
ITEM 2  (A) NAME OF PERSON FILING: J.P.MORGAN & CO. INCORPORATED                
ITEM 2  (B) ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL BUSINESS OFFICE:                               
                              60 WALL STREET                                    
                              NEW YORK,N.Y. 10260                               
ITEM 2  (C) CITIZENSHIP UNITED STATES                                           
ITEM 2  (D) TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES:                                       
            WESTERN RESOURCES, INC.                                             
                                                                                
                 UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, SECURITY BEING REPORTED IS A           
                 COMMON STOCK.                                                  
ITEM 2  (E) CUSIP NO:   959425 10 9                                             
ITEM 3    TYPE OF PERSON:  (G) PARENT HOLDING COMPANY                           
ITEM 4  (A) AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED:        278,242       SHARES,             
              INCLUDING          0  SHARES WHERE THERE IS A RIGHT TO ACQUIRE.   
ITEM 4  (B) PERCENT OF CLASS:  0.4                                              
ITEM 4  (C)     (I) SOLE POWER TO VOTE:               138,000  SHARES           
               (II) SHARED POWER TO VOTE:              13,242  SHARES           
              (III) SOLE POWER TO DISPOSE:            262,000  SHARES           
               (IV) SHARED POWER TO DISPOSE:              900  SHARES           
ITEM 5    OWNERSHIP OF 5 PERCENT OR LESS OF A CLASS:   YES                      
ITEM 6    OWNERSHIP OF MORE THAN 5 PERCENT ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON:         
                                                                                
                                                                                
     VIRTUALLY ALL OF OUR ACCOUNTS INVOLVE OUTSIDE PERSONS WHO HAVE THE         
RIGHT TO RECEIVE OR DIRECT THE RECEIPT OF DIVIDENDS FROM,OR THE PROCEEDS        
FROM THE SALE OF, SECURITIES IN SUCH ACCOUNTS WITH RESPECT TO THE CLASS         
OF SECURITIES WHICH ARE THE SUBJECT OF THIS REPORT. HOWEVER, NO SUCH            
PERSON'S RIGHTS RELATE TO MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT OF THE CLASS UNLESS            
SUCH PERSON IS IDENTIFIED BELOW.                                                
ITEM 7  IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF SUBSIDIARIES:                      
         MORGAN GUARANTY TRUST COMPANY OF NEW YORK - 3(B) BANK                  
         J.P. MORGAN INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC. - 3(E) INVESTMENT ADVISOR      
J.P. MORGAN FLORIDA FEDERAL SAVINGS BANK - 3(E) INVESTMENT ADVISOR              
   CERTAIN OF THE SECURITIES COVERED BY THIS REPORT MAY BE OWNED BY NON-        
  QUALIFYING SUBSIDIARIES OF J.P. MORGAN & CO. INCORPORATED, BUT THE            
  AMOUNT SO OWNED DOES NOT EXCEED ONE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL OUTSTANDING          
  SECURITIES OF THE COMPANY AND IT IS NOT PRACTICAL TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL        
  INFORMATION CONCERNING SUCH SECURITIES                                        
ITEM 8  IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBERS OF THE GROUP               
           NOT APPLICABLE                                                       
ITEM 9  NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF THE GROUP:  NOT APPLICABLE                     
ITEM 10 CERTIFICATION:                                                          
   BY SIGNING BELOW I CERTIFY THAT, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AND             
 BELIEF, THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO ABOVE WERE ACQUIRED IN THE ORDINARY         
 COURSE OF BUSINESS AND WERE NOT ACQUIRED FOR THE PURPOSE OF AND DO NOT         
 HAVE THE EFFECT OF CHANGING OR INFLUENCING THE CONTROL OF THE ISSUER OF        
 SUCH SECURITIES AND WERE NOT ACQUIRED IN CONNECTION WITH OR AS A               
 PARTICIPANT IN ANY TRANSACTION HAVING SUCH PURPOSE OR EFFECT.                  
   AFTER REASONABLE INQUIRY AND TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEF, I       
 CERTIFY THAT THE INFORMATION SET FORTH IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE,              
 COMPLETE AND CORRECT.                                                          
                                        KATHLEEN H. TRIPP                       
                                        VICE PRESIDENT