364 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 201

sel to the commission which the commission may reasonably
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 facili-
ties, or the adequacy or quality thereof, any preference or ad-
vantage or any prejudice, disadvantage or any discrimination,
any rates, tolls, fares or charges, or any regulations or prac-
tices with respect thereto, or of or concerning any other mat-
ter 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 requirements im-
posed by the Public Service Commission Law, or by any other

law, by any charter, franchise or ordinance, by any order of
the commission or otherwise, it shall be the duty of the People's
Counsel, upon a prima facie case, or otherwise, to participate
in the preparation or reforming of the pleadings before the
commission, if need be, or investigating or further investigat-
ing 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 appli-
cations or complaints by or on behalf of or in the interest of
the public or in defense of the public interests when involved,
and 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 the People's Counsel in the performance
of these public duties; provided that nothing herein contained
shall be construed to prevent any party or interest in any pro-
ceedings before said commission from appearing in person or
from being represented by counsel.

All actions and proceedings under this Act, and all actions
and proceedings commenced and prosecuted by order of the
commission, and all actions and proceedings to which the com-
mission may be a party and in which any question arises under
this Act, or under or concerning any order or action of the
commission, shall be preferred over all other civil causes ex-
cept election causes, in all the courts of the State of Maryland,
and shall be heard and determined in preference to all other
civil business pending therein, excepting election causes, irre-
spective of position on the dockets of said courts. The same
preference shall be granted upon application of the general
counsel to the commission, or the People's Counsel in any
action or proceedings in which the general counsel or the Peo-
ple's Counsel may be allowed to intervene.