If the losses were more than $100,000,000 a year when the total income of the railroads was $800,000,000 a year, the losses now with an income of about $2,000,000,000 a year are probably, at least, $200,000,000 a year, allowing for all the saving that is claimed to have resulted from the Elkins Act. A railroad officer who says his road has constantly disregarded the Interstate Commerce Law declares that in more than one year the net revenues of his company “would have been increased by more than 15 percent if no rebates had been paid to favored customers.” The hundreds of millions which the transportation systems of this country have, during the period from 1887 to 1905, earned and repaid to the men who controlled the large industrial products of the country—coal, iron, grain, salt, sugar, oil, provisions, and lumber—belonged equitably to employees and stockholders (or to the people). “And the history of this period may be repeated as often as the whim or the interest of a traffic manager or owning director prompts or requires.”[349] The losses through the disturbance of business, interference with the relation between energy and industry on one side and success on the other, depression of localities, and ruin of individuals, are beyond computation. Most shippers would be glad to do away with discrimination if they could be sure that there would be a square deal all round, fair play, and no concessions to their rivals. And most railroad men would be glad to be protected against the discriminations that are forced upon them by the shippers, and by competition among the roads, if they could be sure that the published rates would really be adhered to by their competitors. Law after law has been passed to prevent unjust discriminations, and yet in spite of the contrary statements of some witnesses,[350] it is perfectly clear that they have not ceased, and that comparatively little has been done in that direction.