Public meetings continued to be the headline Labour activity. There were two major one in the spring of 1905. It is less easy to know how other activities were progressing, but newspaper reports, which for this period are the greatest source of our information, also covered less important events, so that we are able to piece together much of what else was happening in the Labour camp.

The Grimsby Trades and Labour Council held its annual meeting at the end of February, and invited the press to attend. Political matters were prominent. They opposed Chamberlain's tariff policy, wanted a stipendiary magistrate locally, and supported Mr Eyre and Mr Collins as local candidates. Only members of affiliated or kindred societies should be supported.

They agreed to receive a delegation from the Hairdressers Association, and ignored a request from the Labour Representation Committee for "financial support in connection with the Russian movement".

Early May saw one of Tom Proctor's weeks in Grimsby (It was also the week when Keir Hardie came here). Amongst the activities there was a Demonstration in the Park on a Sunday. Trade Unionists marched from the Freeman street market to People's Park "headed by the band of the Amalgamated Musicians with banners waving". It was held near the bandstand.

It was clearly intended to make the headlines and it did. Much was said to justify the holding of the demonstration on a Sunday. It was not held in the central green so as "not to rob a single visitor of an ounce of pleasure".

This event brought to a head some divisions in the Labour movement. A special meeting of the Trades Council was held to discuss a resolution that "Councillor Pickwell should ....explain his position in the Labour movement". First, however, was the question as to whether the press should be present. A vote of 13 to 10 determined that the press should remain.

Jacob Pickwell was a respected longest serving Labour councillor and member of the Railway Servants Union. He was openly critical of the LRC for refusing to negotiate with the Liberals in order to adopt an agreed candidate. He was accused of "not toeing the line alongside the other Labour Councillors", and with a lack of wholehearted support, by for example not appearing on many Labour platforms, and in particular not supporting the Sunday demonstration.

Pickwell's defence was that he did not believe in Sunday meetings if they could be avoided. He claimed to have agreed policy issues with the other Labour councillors. And he did support Tom Proctor, though he disagreed with the way he was selected. He also objected to some of the criticisms made of the Christian churches.

In the end he got what was in effect a qualified vote of confidence. Everyone had had his say, false perceptions, prejudices and rumours had been brought out into the open. No doubt though the differences continued.

In July the Independent Labour Party held their own meeting on Freeman Street market It was to seek amendment and support for a Bill, then before parliament, about the unemployed. Councillor Ramsey was the chairman, and Mr Carruthers and the Rev. J. K. Archer both spoke in favour of a long resolution put by Mr A Lee. This was duly carried.

In September we find a barrister, Mr Daly, sitting at the Town Hall to revise the voters list for the Grimsby and Brigg divisions. Each Party had its representatives there to protect their interest. From Cleethorpes there was neither an objection nor an occupier's claim.

In Grimsby the Liberal and Conservative registrations were generally allowed, but when Mr Hall presented the Labour registrations, there were objections from Mr Price for the Liberals; that in a number of cases the claimant's signature had not been witnessed in his presence. For these, and other technicalities, the claims of many likely Labour voters were disallowed. Although it was later shown that some Liberal claimants could also have failed on these grounds, they had already been allowed. Labour's failures were put down to inexperience.