






                                                    Exhibit 24


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                         POWER OF ATTORNEY

We, the  undersigned  officers and directors of The Stanley Works, a Connecticut
corporation (the  "Corporation"),  hereby severally constitute Stephen S. Weddle
and Brenda Bemben our true and lawful attorneys with full power of substitution,
to  sign  for us and  in our  names  in  the  capacities  indicated  below,  the
Registration  Statement on Form S-8 of the Corporation  filed herewith,  and any
and all amendments thereto,  and generally to do all such things in our name and
on our  behalf in our  capacities  as  officers  and  directors  to  enable  the
Corporation  to comply with the  provisions  of the  Securities  Act of 1933, as
amended,  all  requirements of the Securities and Exchange  Commission,  and all
requirements  of any other  applicable law or regulation,  hereby  ratifying and
confirming our signatures as they may be signed by our said attorneys, or either
of them,  to such  Registration  Statement and any and all  amendments  thereto,
including post-effective amendments.


 SIGNATURE                 TITLE                     DATE 


 Richard H. Ayers          Chairman,                 August 30, 1995    
 Richard H. Ayers          Chief Executive Officer
                           and Director 


 Richard Huck              Vice President            August 29, 1995    
 Richard Huck              Finance and Chief
                           Financial Officer 


                           President                August 31, 1995 
 R. Alan Hunter           and Chief Operating  
                           Officer 


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 SIGNATURE                        TITLE                              DATE 

                           
     Theresa F. Yerkes         Vice President                    August 29, 1995
     Theresa F. Yerkes         and Controller
                               (Chief Accounting  
                               Officer) 



     Stillman B. Brown         Director                          August 30, 1995
     Stillman B. Brown        

                            
     Edgar R. Fiedler          Director                          August 30, 1995
     Edgar R. Fiedler      


     Mannie L. Jackson         Director                          August 30, 1995
     Mannie L. Jackson    


     James G. Kaiser           Director                          August 30, 1995
     James G. Kaiser      


     Eileen S. Kraus           Director                          August 30, 1995
     Eileen S. Kraus        


     George A. Lorch           Director                          August 29, 1995
     George A. Lorch        


     Walter J. McNerney        Director                          August 30, 1995
     Walter J. McNerney      


     Gertrude G. Michelson     Director                          August 29, 1995
     Gertrude G. Michelson    


     John S. Scott             Director                          August 30, 1995
     John S. Scott 


     Hugo E. Uyterhoeven       Director                          August 30, 1995
     Hugo E. Uyterhoeven 


     Walter W. Williams        Director                          August 29, 1995
     Walter W. Williams 

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