The department is authorized and directed to employ a competent court reporter or stenographer, whose salary or charges shall be paid out of the general appropriations for the department, and whose duties it shall be to take down and transcribe all testimony offered in contested cases, to prepare the official record of all contested cases, which record shall include all petitions, applications, testimony, exhibits and such other matter as required by law or as the department may direct, and to perform such other duties as the department may direct; provided, that the department may in its discretion direct the reporter not to transcribe particular proceedings if it appears that no transcript is necessary; and provided further, that any party to a contested case may obtain copies of the transcript of testimony made by the department's reporter upon the payment to the department of the cost of the transcript at such rate as the department may determine; and provided further, that expense of taking down and preparing the official record shall be deemed as part of the costs of such proceeding and all or any part thereof shall be ordered paid by such party or parties as the department shall deem proper.