Inflation: The Latest Victim

Died. The 5¢ Hershey Bar; of acute inflation; in Hershey, Pa. Born in 1903, the nickel chocolate bar became a U.S. institution and generated the growth of Hershey Foods Corp. (assets: $208 million). It survived wars, depressions and rising taxes, but suffered from weight loss in recent years, shrinking from 1 oz. to ¾ oz. Last week, a victim of the rising cost of cocoa beans, it went the way of the penny licorice stick and, increasingly, the nickel pack of chewing gum. Henceforth, the least expensive Hershey Bar will cost a dime.