 At this time there was a general belief that cane plantations were economically viable due to improved cultivation methods and CSR tenants generally paid less rent than other contractors.From 1905 the CSR came under increasing pressure, by overseers, to lease its large estates because the overseers wanted a share in the profit of the sugar industry.In 1908, the management of CSR decided to divide its estates into 400 to 1000 acre (1.6 to 4 km²) lots and lease them to its overseers because it was noted that relationship between tenants and their labourers were better than between the company overseers and its Indian labourers.