ART. 23] PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION. 263

ings involving any question under this sub-title, or under or in refer-
ence to any act, order or proceeding of the Commission, and if directed
to do so by the Commission, to intervene, if possible, in any action or
proceeding in which any such question is involved; to commence and
prosecute all actions and proceedings directed or authorized by the
Commission, and to expedite, in every way possible, final determina-
tion of all such actions and proceedings; to advise the Commission and
each Commissioner, when so requested, in regard to all matters in con-
nection with the powers and duties of the Commission and of the mem-
bers thereof, and generally to perform all duties and services as attor-
ney and counsel to the Commission which the Commission may reason-
ably require of him, whenever, application, protest or other form of
complaint is made to the Commission of or concerning any act or omis-
sion, any service, regulation, equipment, appliance or facilities, or the
adequacy or quality thereof, any preferences or advantage or any preju-
dice, disadvantage or any discrimination, any rates, tolls, fares or
charges, or any regulations or practices with respect thereto, or of or
concerning any other matter or thing done, permitted, maintained or
omitted to be done by any person, firm or corporation, subject to the
jurisdiction of the Commission, with respect to any of the require-
ments imposed by the Public Service Commission Law, by any other
law, by any charter, franchise or ordinance, by any order of this
Commission or otherwise, it shall be the duty of said General Counsel
in person or through an assistant, whenever the Commission shall so
direct, upon a prima facie case, or otherwise, or when there shall
appear to the Commission to be any reasonable ground for investigat-
ing, or further investigating, such application, complaint or protest,
to participate in the preparation or reforming of the pleadings before
the Commission, if need be, or investigating or further investigating
the facts or evidence upon which the application, complaint or protest
is based or may be based and to appear before the Commission in
respect to investigations or in support of applications or complaints
by or on behalf of or in the interest of the public or in defense of the
public interests when involved and subject to the order of the Com-
mission the services of the experts employed by said Commission as
well as the records and other facilities of the Commission shall be
. availed of by said General Counsel or his assistant in the performance
of these public duties; provided that nothing herein contained shall be
construed to prevent any party or interest in any proceeding before
said Commission from appearing in person or from being represented
by counsel.

The assistant, or assistants appointed by the General Counsel shall
perform such other duties as the General Counsel may prescribe. All
actions and proceedings under this sub-title, and all actions and pro-
ceedings commenced and prosecuted by order of the Commission, and
all actions and proceedings to which the Commission may be a party