(a) Applications shall be made in writing to the Water Power and Control Commission. One original and three copies shall be filed with the commission by delivering the same to the Commissioner of Environmental Conservation as chairman of the commission, or to the secretary of the commission. They must be verified by the applicant, the affidavit of verification to be substantially in the form provided by the Civil Practice Act for the verification of a pleading. One member of an association may verify the same on behalf of the association. Whenever an affidavit of verification is taken without the State of New York, the authority, and the authenticity of the signature of the notary public or other officer taking the affidavit, must be established in the manner provided by sections 311 and 312 of the Real Property Law.

(b) They shall be plainly and legibly written or printed in black ink upon durable paper of good material and of a uniform size, but not more than 8 1/2 inches in width by 14 inches in length. The maps, plans and drawings constituting a part of the original application shall be on cloth blueprints or original drawings on tracing cloth, except that lithographed official maps issued by Federal or State agencies may be used for general maps; but when so used the copy constituting a part of the original application must be mounted on cloth.

(c) They shall be filed by the commission in the order of their receipt. The date of the receipt of the last communication from an applicant, containing any data or information required by these rules, shall be deemed to be the date of the receipt of such application for a license, except that where the commission issues to an applicant for a license a preliminary permit for the purpose of enabling him to secure the data or information required by subdivision (a), (b), (c) or (d) of section 600.6 of this Part to be set forth in an application for a license, the date of receipt of the last communication from the applicant, containing any data or information required by these rules for the issuance of such preliminary permit, shall be deemed to be the date upon which the priority of such application for a license shall be maintained, subject to the conditions of the permit.