Filed by Ashland Inc. pursuant to Rules 165 and 425 promulgated under the
    Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12
              promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

                                                   Subject Company: Ashland Inc.
                                                  Commission File No.: 001-02918

      (Employee Q&A to be posted on Ashland Inc.'s Employee Intranet)

Q.       Where is the Maleic Anhydride  business located,  and how will its
         employees be affected by its sale?

A.       The  Maleic  Anhydride  business  is  part of  Specialty  Chemical
         (Composite  Polymers) and includes a plant  located in Neal,  West
         Virginia.  Upon  completion of the  transaction,  the employees in
         this  business  group who are actively at work on the closing date
         of the transaction will be offered employment by Marathon.




Q.       What  is  meant  when  Ashland  says  that  part  of the  deal  is
         contingent  upon approval from public debt holders?  Is this meant
         to imply that our creditors may prevent the deal from closing?

A.       Ashland  is not  obligated  to close  the  transaction  unless  we
         receive  consent  from 90 percent of the  principal  amount of our
         taxable,  long-term  public  debt.  Consent from  two-thirds  of a
         series  represents  consent for the entire  series.  If we fail to
         obtain the 90 percent  consent  level,  Ashland  has the option to
         waive this closing condition and still close the transaction.




FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
     This  presentation  contains  forward-looking  statements,  within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities  Exchange Act of 1934. These statements include those that refer
to Ashland's operating performance, earnings and expectations about the MAP
transaction.  Although  Ashland  believes  its  expectations  are  based on
reasonable assumptions,  it cannot assure the expectations reflected herein
will be achieved. These forward-looking  statements are based upon internal
forecasts and analyses of current and future market  conditions and trends,
management  plans  and  strategies,  weather,  operating  efficiencies  and
economic  conditions,  such  as  prices,  supply  and  demand,  cost of raw
materials,  and legal proceedings and claims  (including  environmental and
asbestos matters) and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties,  and
assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
we describe in the forward-looking  statements.  The risks,  uncertainties,
and  assumptions  include the  possibility  that  Ashland will be unable to
fully  realize  the  benefits  anticipated  from the MAP  transaction;  the
possibility  of failing to receive a  favorable  ruling  from the  Internal
Revenue Service;  the possibility that Ashland fails to obtain the approval
of its shareholders;  the possibility that the transaction may not close or
that  Ashland may be required to modify some aspect of the  transaction  to
obtain regulatory  approvals;  and other risks that are described from time
to time in the Securities and Exchange Commission reports of Ashland. Other
factors and risks  affecting  Ashland are contained in Ashland's  Form 10-K
for the fiscal  year ended  Sept.  30,  2003,  as  amended,  filed with the
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  (SEC)  and  available  in  Ashland's
Investor  Relations  website  at  www.Ashland.com/investors  or  the  SEC's
website at  www.sec.gov.  Ashland  undertakes no obligation to subsequently
update or revise the  forward-looking  statements made in this news release
to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE MAP TRANSACTION
     Investors   and   security   holders  are  urged  to  read  the  proxy
statement/prospectus  regarding  the proposed  transaction  when it becomes
available  because  it  will  contain  important  information.   The  proxy
statement/prospectus  will be filed with the SEC by Ashland,  and  security
holders  may obtain a free copy of the proxy  statement/prospectus  when it
becomes  available,  and other documents filed with the SEC by Ashland,  at
the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The proxy statement/prospectus, and other
documents  filed with the SEC by Ashland,  may also be obtained for free in
the  SEC  filings  section  on  Ashland's  Investor  Relations  website  at
www.Ashland.com/investors,  or by  directing  a request to Ashland at 50 E.
RiverCenter  Blvd.,  Covington,  KY 41012.  The  respective  directors  and
executive  officers  of  Ashland  and  other  persons  may be  deemed to be
participants  in the  solicitation  of proxies  in respect of the  proposed
transaction.   Information  regarding  Ashland's  directors  and  executive
officers is available in its proxy  statement filed with the SEC by Ashland
on  December  8, 2003.  Investors  may  obtain  information  regarding  the
interests of participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with
the  transaction  referenced  in the foregoing  information  by reading the
proxy statement/prospectus when it becomes available.