My, How Times Change

I was looking for details of the history of Hawaii's somewhat confusing firearms licensing laws, and I found this amusing quote from the Journal of Proceedings of the House of Representatives of the Fifth Legistiature of the Territory of Hawaii 747-748 (1909):

Hon. H L. Holstein.

Speaker, House of Representatives.

Sir:—Your Health and Police Committee, to which was referred House Bill No. 182. introduced by Representative W. J. Sheldon, entitled. "An Act to Amend Section 1 of Act 116 of the Session Laws of the Territory of Hawaii of 1907. relating to hunting with Firearms." beg leave to report as follows:

Your Committee believe that prohibiting minors from shooting would work an injustice to the larger portion of the population of this Territory, by prohibiting them from teaching their children the use of firearms. We believe in encouraging minors to use firearms and become more acquainted with their use. thereby diminishing the amount of danger to themselves as well as others. They would also be better able to protect their Country if it should ever become necessary. 

We therefore recommend that this Bill be tabled.

Respectfully submitted,
J. H. CONEY,
Chairman, Health and Police Committee,
A. S. KALEIOPU.
HENRY L. KAWEWEHI,
J. NAKALEKA.