From any action of the sanitation commission in prescribing fees, rents and charges, or either of them, pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, an appeal may be taken upon the petition of any county, city or town constituting a part of the district, or upon petition of any fifty persons, resident or doing business in the district, to the State Corporation Commission. At least sixty days prior to filing such petition with the State Corporation Commission, such county, city or town or interested parties shall notify the sanitation commission of such intended petition and of the fees, rents and charges complained of, in order that the sanitation commission may be afforded an opportunity to make such changes in such fees, rents and charges as it shall deem proper. After such petition shall have been filed with the State Corporation Commission and after such county, city or town or other petitioners shall have, if required by the State Corporation Commission, executed and filed with the State Corporation Commission a bond payable to the Commonwealth and sufficient in amount, but not in excess of $500, and security to insure the prompt payment of all costs which may be assessed against such county, city or town or other petitioners and after such county, city or town or other petitioners shall have caused to be published in at least one newspaper, designated by the State Corporation Commission and of general circulation within the district, such notice of such appeal as shall be prescribed by the State Corporation Commission, the State Corporation Commission is authorized to make such examinations and studies, to hold such hearings as may be required, to issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses and the production of records, memoranda, papers and other documents before the State Corporation Commission or any officer or agent thereof, to administer oaths and to take testimony thereunder, and to fix in accordance with the provisions of this chapter applicable to the sanitation commission, subject to the right of further appeal by the sanitation commission or the interested parties to the Supreme Court, such fees, rents and charges. In each such proceeding the State Corporation Commission shall ascertain the costs incurred by it, including in such costs actual expenses incurred and a fair apportionment of overhead expenses, and shall assess the same against either the petitioner or petitioners, or the sanitation commission, or shall apportion the costs between the petitioner or petitioners and the sanitation commission, according to principles applicable in courts of equity.